Stop the Rewind
by Magestorrow
Summary: A young magician finds herself trapped in Minecraft, with her new friend Herobrine as her only ally in the strange new world. But things always get complicated when magic is involved, and returning to her world is going to be far from easy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader. My name is Mage, and I'm glad that you've chosen to read my newest fanfiction,** ** _Stop the Rewind._** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1**

She loved magic.

Doing anything remotely magical would fill her with a burst of excitement, and her adrenaline levels wouldn't return to normal until hours afterwards. Magic usage prompted a buzz of activity. The tiredness that would suddenly afterwards was a bother, but she pushed the thought of that out of her mind as she finished drawing the pentacle. The chalk was returned to her jacket's pocket, and she took several steps back into the pentacle behind her.

She stretched her muscles. It was precaution in case something went wrong; she would need to run. She was far away from the safety of her "friends". The connections they had once shared were now strained. Which, she promptly reminded herself, was the entire reason she was about to recite the words needed to summon a spirit from the Other Place.

The words left her lips. She barely faltered as she spoke the words she had practiced countless times in preparation for this very moment.

A form started to appear in the pentacle across from her. The spirit eventually took on the form of boy who couldn't have been more than a year or two older than her. She was almost able to convince herself that he was a human.

His limbs were lanky and pale, and he was taller than her. His attire consisted of a plain blue t-shirt, jeans, and scuffed sneakers. His hair was messy. Almost absentmindedly, he tried neatening it.

But it was the pupiless eyes that glowed eerily in the dimly lit room that convinced her otherwise.

He studied the chalk lines at his feet. She was sure she had made no mistakes, and her belief was seemingly confirmed when he looked up at her and didn't make a move to leave the pentacle. "What is your charge?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I charge you to not harm me or anyone else unless I specifically give you permission to do so," she smoothly replied. This statement, like the actual ritual to summon him, had been rehearsed many times. The spirit gave a slight nod, possibly to show that he had heard her.

Then she jumped out of the pentacle and walked over to his. They were less than a foot apart; she could reach out a hand and touch him if she wanted to.

"Hi," she greeted him, a grin spreading from ear to ear. Her smile was completely genuine. She wasn't surprised to note that she couldn't remember the last time it hadn't been forced.

His eyes widened as she held out her hand. "My name's May Acker," she promptly informed him, a warm and friendly expression remaining on her face as she spoke. The surprise remained on his face, but it was joined by confusion.

He hesitantly shook her hand. "You know my name." It didn't sound like he was trying to be annoying. It was an honest statement of a truth both of them knew very well. Without his name, she would have been unable to summon him.

She said, "Your name is Herobrine. You're not a foliot or an imp. I know that much from what you look like." She paused and looked him over. "Are you a djinni?"

He nodded. Then, after a moment of awkward silence, he asked, "Why do you only know my name?" he questioned. "I've seen the books listing the names of spirits. Shouldn't it have listed more information than that?" He nervously stepped out of the pentacle and began to pace around the room, looking each piece of furniture over with what she assumed to be curiosity.

She crouched down and blew out the candles surrounding his pentacle. "I only had a couple of urban legends to go off of." Her eyes lingered on the chalk lines of the pentacle. There was a slight mistake with the words written around the pentacle. Her gaze slowly went from the floor to the djinni investigating the bookcases of her bedroom.

A wave of cold, raw fear washed over her. If past accounts were anything to go by, he should have attacked her the minute he noticed the mistake. The fact that he hadn't was incredibly alarming. She didn't know him at all. What if he preferred surprising his summoners who made mistakes by luring them into a false sense of security?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2**

He ran his fingers against the wood of the bookcase and closed his eyes. It had been many years since the last time he was away from the Other Place. There were birds happily singing their melodies outside the room he was in; they weren't the birds he had learned the names of so long ago. This wasn't the world he had grown to love. There was no doubting that fact. He couldn't explain why, but his heart told him that his observation was the truth.

He opened his eyes and turned to face his summoner. There was fear in the girl's eyes – which were a dark brown – as she stared up at him. _They're afraid,_ Anda had often told him. _They're afraid because they know we're different. Humans don't like different._ Was that the reason for the fear she now possessed? Prior to this moment, she had seemed extremely friendly for a magician intent on enslaving him.

Though he tried to tell himself that she was the only one afraid of something different, he knew he was as well. Thoughts of whatever the magician might force him to do terrified him, and the unknown was a frightening thing.

"There's a mistake," she finally said, her voice high and tense. "You saw it. It was exactly where you were looking before." She continued to keep her eyes trained on him, though her trembling hands revealed her true emotions. "Why didn't you do anything about it?"

 _Because I don't want to hurt someone!_ he wanted to yell at the top of his lungs. _Because I'm not like the monsters magicians make us out to be! Because even though I'm different than you, I care!_

But he remained silent, knowing that she would never believe his words. She was a magician, and he was a spirit. Trust was something that magicians, according to Anda, rarely gave out – especially to spirits.

She stood up. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and looked back at the chalk circle. He kept his eyes trained on the floor. "What is your charge?" he quietly asked once more. The quicker this was over with, the better. He missed the chaotic fluidity of the Other Place. Being forced to face his pain instead of easily ignoring it was a difficult task, one that he wished he didn't have to deal with.

"It's not really a charge, per say..." She nervously made her way over to him. The mistake still seemed to be on her mind as she stopped in front of him. "I want to be your friend, Herobrine. I don't want to force you to become my friend, or anything like that. If you don't want to be my friend, I'll dismiss you right now and you can forget this ever happened."

He wasn't sure how to respond.

Anda had said magicians were supposed to be cruel, and that his first summoner and her summoner were exceptions to that rule. She had told him to take the first opportunity to leave a magician's servitude, even if it meant devouring the magician who had summoned him when they made a mistake.

But she had never once said what to do if a magician offered him friendship.

"You're a magician," he said slowly, trying to reaffirm what he had assumed.

She nodded. "I am, but I'm not like other magicians. I can summon spirits if I want to, but I never make them do my dirty work and I'm always incredibly polite to them if I do summon them for any reason whatsoever."

He thought for a minute. It was an unexpected proposal. Anda was usually right about things, so it would make more sense if he turned down her offer altogether and returned to the Other Place. Yet he, though he was young and inexperienced, understood how rare a friendship between a human and a spirit was.

"I'm alright with becoming your friend," he answered.

A grin spread across her face. "That's great, Herobrine!" She was silent for several seconds before asking, "Do you have any nicknames that you prefer instead of Herobrine?"

The birds continued to chirp outside the window. He shook his head. "No." Suddenly, curiosity clawed at him. He had to find out where he was, and if he really was on a different world. He walked over to the window and slowly pushed back the blinds.

His eyes widened.

There was a gray, horizontal pathway out in front of the building they were in, and strange metal contraptions with people inside went down it. There was little metal boxes on big sticks in front of each house. One of the metal contraptions pulled up in front of one of the boxes, opened it, and slipped something inside.

He turned back to her. "May," he managed to get out, "where are we?"

"We're on Earth."

He looked at her blankly for several seconds. It sounded faintly familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard of it.

"You don't know about the Dimension Laws?"

When he didn't reply, she seemed to take it as a yes. "There's a lot more worlds than the world you were first summoned on, Herobrine...By the way, where were you first summoned?"  
"Minecraftia."

"That makes sense," she said, but he didn't understand exactly what made sense. "The Dimension Laws state that there's multiple dimensions, and also multiple worlds. Magicians on this version of Earth tend to be more knowledgeable about the Dimension Laws, for example. A spirit who was mainly summoned on a different Earth once told me that the Earth there was ruled by magicians, so we know that histories often play out differently on other versions of Earth. It's impossible to say where Minecraftia fits into the equation. It may be an alternate form of Earth, an entirely different world, or another form of that different world. The only thing that connects all of these worlds is where you come from – the Other Place."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 3**

She still couldn't understand why he had yet to harm her and why he had failed to offer an explanation for his actions. It was common knowledge that a spirit would try to kill their master so they could return to the Other Place; even spirits she knew had tried to kill her when she made a mistake in their summoning, only to stop mid-attempt when they recognized her.

However, though she couldn't comprehend his reasoning, it didn't seem like he would be trying to harm her.

When she noticed that an uncomfortable silence settled upon the room, she tried to recall what she should next. It had been so long since she had had a friend over, and back then she had been just as inexperienced as now. "You can, uh, sit down wherever you want to," she informed him. She suddenly was aware of how messy her room was. She quickly cleared away a spot on her bed and sat down.

He sat down on the chair in front of her desk, moving it so it faced her rather than the wall. "So what do you want to do?" she finally asked.

He shrugged and stared intently at his jeans. He nervously suggested, after doing so for several moments, "Maybe we can talk?"

He glanced up at her. The sight of his white eyes made shivers run up and down her spine – it was like they were straight out of a horror movie – but she didn't ask him to change his guise. His current form seemed to be his preferred one. She would just have to deal with it.

"Like I said before, my name is May," she awkwardly began. She crossed her legs and tried to not focus on how difficult talking to him was. "It's my birth name."

He stared at her.

"I'm not going to punish you or anything like that, so I don't really see any harm in telling you. Plus, I know yours. So now we're equal, I guess?" She smiled, pushing a strand of dark brown hair out of her face with slightly tanned fingers.

He started to ask, "Why are you being so ni-" but she suddenly heard footsteps coming near and put a finger to her lips. He fell silent, tilting his head in confusion as she approached the door.

"I live in a dorm room," she hurriedly whispered. "They don't know about magic here. I can't let them see you, so you have to stay quiet."

The door suddenly swung open. She jumped back in alarm, narrowly avoiding being hit as a girl entered. It was the upperclassman in charge of her dormitory, a senior by the name of Anne Smith. May's heart nearly stopped as the older girl surveyed the room. She was going to see Herobrine, and then she was going to scream even if she didn't play Minecraft because no normal boy would have eyes like his! May didn't even know how she would begin to explain everything.

"That's funny," Anne commented under her breath. "I swear I heard someone else in here."

Slowly, May glanced behind her.

A small bird was perched on her desk. When it noticed her attention, it tilted its head and ruffled its feathers. It wasn't long before she realized that the bird was Herobrine in a different guise, and a quick check of the higher planes proved her theory.

Anne cleared her throat. "Have you thought about joining any clubs yet, May? You've been at Huntsville Academy for the past month, and you still haven't joined any." She crossed her arms and looked down at her. May wished she was taller so Anne would be the one looking up; Anne always acted like she was far more mature, despite only being a year older than her.

May mirrored the gesture. "I want to join the math club."

The older girl's response was a frown. "We've talked about this. Only Ms. Croft picks the students for the math club. Seeing that you've shown no mathematical potential, you need to give up on your dream of joining it and join something else." The words were far from kind, and the tone far from supportive.

"We've talked about this," she said through gritted teeth. "I don't think it's right that only a select handful of students can join the math club, and that I want to become a member, despite lacking the mathematical talent apparently needed to become a member."

Anne didn't say anything. She simply turned her back to May and walked into the hallway, slamming the door behind her as she exited the room.

May sighed in relief. "We're alright," she quietly informed the djinni.

The bird hopped down onto the chair. A second later, Herobrine was sitting in its place. He silently watched her.

"Thank you," she simply said.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 4**

May, Herobrine quickly learned, attended a somewhat prestigious private school on the edges of a town in a place called New York. The school, Huntsville Private Academy, got its name from the town it was located near. The complex was surrounded by sprawling hills and the occasional forest, and students were allowed to explore the surrounding area on weekends or days when they didn't have classes.

His current summoner had always been considered an outcast, having been able to see what others couldn't for as long as she could remember. Three years ago, she had learned that the things she could see where spirits and creatures that supposedly only existed in myths. This latter part confused him greatly; she said that she had spent the last couple of summers at a "summer camp" where the children there were all the kids of gods.

She didn't like talking about the summer camp, though. It only took him the first week to understand that it was part of the reason why she had summoned him. May appeared to have difficulty making friends. Herobrine guessed she had made friends with the people who attended the "camp", and that those friendships had ended on a sour note.

May said that she had found out about him through myths surrounding something called a "video game". This video game, Minecraft, was what allowed people from Earth to unknowingly connect to Minecraftia. "Players" (the people from Earth), would access the world through things called "avatars". She demonstrated the game to him several times, but he still struggled to wrap his mind around the concept.

For the most part, she left him to his own devices. May told him once winter break came – which was only a couple of days away – they would do more things together. He spent the majority of his time reading. When he grew bored of it, he would walk around the campus and observe the beautiful scenery. His favorite thing to do would be to draw the birds he watched in a sketchbook May gave him; it was something he would do long ago, and, though it brought back painful memories, he enjoyed it just as much as he did then.

* * *

He kept his gaze on the paper before him, only glancing away for short periods of time to observe the birds that flitted around the old oak tree in the center of the campus. He was currently in the guise of a boy with blond hair and green eyes, dressed in the uniform of someone who attended the school.

The birds suddenly all flew away.

"I haven't seen you before."

He looked up. There was a boy roughly May's age watching him with inquisitive green eyes and brown hair that was thrown into a small ponytail. A quick check of the planes showed he was completely human.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" the boy politely asked. Herobrine moved aside and nodded. "My name's Arthur Croft, and, yes, I am related to the principal. She's my aunt." He gave him a warm smile, but Herobrine quickly noticed the look of suspicion in his eyes. He was also met with a strange sense of recognition when he heard the name.

"My name is Brian Addams," he lied. It was a name that he had given many times before; it was easy for him to remember.

Why did he feel like Arthur was staring into the very depths of his soul? It was a look that he recognized from somewhere, but he couldn't place where. The look made chills run up and down his spine.

Suddenly, he realized where he had heard the name. Arthur Croft was the president of the math club May so badly wanted to join. He almost asked why they denied her membership, but he remained silent. He didn't want to cause a problem, and he still couldn't ignore the look the boy had given him.

Arthur glanced at the sketchbook, Herobrine following his gaze. "You're an amazing artist," he said in awe. "Are you a member of the art club?"

He shook his head. "I draw on my own."

"Are you a member of any clubs?"

He shook his head once again.

"...Would you be interested in joining the math club?"

He looked up from his sketchbook. "As of right now, no," he slowly replied. If he had a heart, he knew it would be racing. Why would Arthur offer membership to a complete stranger, despite how difficult it was to join? May had tried countless times to get permission to join the club. Herobrine hadn't even asked.

Arthur sighed. "That's a shame." He got to his feet and began to walk away. Then he stopped, looking back at the djinni. "It was nice talking to you, Brian. If you're ever interested in joining the math club, please don't hesitate to ask."

Herobrine stared after him, only returning his attention to the sketchbook when Arthur entered a nearby building.

* * *

May was just as confused by the meeting with Arthur as he had been, but the confusion was put on hold. She had boatloads of schoolwork of to do. Even when it finally seemed like they could focus on it, May's winter break began; her mind was elsewhere.

"It's Christmas time," May simply said, holding up a cord of colorful lights that had yet to be turned on and a red hat as if they were a sufficient enough explanation. What confused him even more was the pair of fake antlers she was wearing on a headband, and the brightly colored sweater and jeans she had traded her uniform for.

She thrust the hat in his direction. He nervously grabbed it and, after a moment of hesitation, slowly put it on. She grinned at him. "Do you want to help me decorate?" she questioned. He quickly nodded, though he still had no idea what they were decorating for.

They spent the next hour and a half putting up various decorations around the dorm room. The final touch was a small, fake pine tree decorated with brightly colored objects and a small star that May placed in the corner of the room.

She sat down on her bed, and he sat down on the chair – it was where they both usually sat. "May," he quietly started, readjusting his hat so it wasn't blocking his eyes. "What exactly is Christmas?"  
"You're pulling my leg, right?"

He shook his head. "I'm guessing it's a holiday...Minecraftia didn't celebrate Christmas."

Once she got over her initial shock, she said, "It's a holiday where people give gifts to each other to show they care. There's all sorts of stuff involved with it...It's kind of difficult to describe." She thought for several minutes. "It takes place three days from now, Sunday being Christmas Eve. We could try watching a lot of Christmas movies before then, and looking online definitely wouldn't hurt."

As she opened up her laptop and clicked on something called "Netflix", he decided he would have to give May a gift. After much consideration, he decided the best gift be one of his bird drawings. She had shown genuine interest in them before.

May finally selected a movie. With the Christmas lights twinkling behind them, the two sat down on her bed and began to watch the movie.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 5**

She opened her eyes. Her gaze slowly swept across the room as she tried to find the strength to get out of her too comfy bed – it had been a good night's sleep but she wasn't completely prepared to leave her bed yet.

Her present for Herobrine was neatly wrapped underneath the miniature Christmas tree; it was a set of colored pencils. She had quickly noticed the spirit's interest in drawing, and, though she had already provided him with pencils and a sketchbook to draw in.

Her phone vibrated as it received a notification.

She reached a hand over to her nightstand to check it. After unlocking it, she saw that the notification was an alert from online gaming app she had downloaded several weeks ago. A grin spread across her face when she saw what it was notifying her of.

The update supposedly scheduled for the first day of 2019 had just been released as an early Christmas present for the players.

She glanced at her laptop. She finally found a reason to get out of bed. She could play for a little while and then summon Herobrine. Putting her glasses on and slipping out of bed, May quickly walked over to her desk.

She turned on her laptop and clicked on the icon.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in his chest. She couldn't explain it. She knew it wasn't a heart attack, but she couldn't understand what else it could be.

The pain began to spread throughout her body. It stole every ounce of strength she possessed, paralyzing every muscle that it infected. She came crashing to the ground, glasses flying halfway across the room from. Soon the pain turned into blissful numbness, and that numbness turned into a descending darkness that she doubted she would ever awaken from.

* * *

She was sitting in a very comfortable armchair. She would have been perfectly content with this scenario, if it wasn't for the fact her dorm room lacked an armchair, or if she was able to ignore the feeling that something was _different._ It wasn't like something was wrong, per say. She simply had a nagging feeling that something had changed.

She opened her eyes.

She could see everything in amazingly clear detail. This astounded her greatly. She had always had poor eyesight, alternating between glasses and contacts. She knew she was wearing neither. On the other hand, she was quite certain that she was now dressed in a t-shirt, hoodie, pair of shorts and slippers.

She unsteadily stood up. After taking a series of much more confident steps forward, she tripped and went falling to the floor. She couldn't comprehend the reason for it, but she was almost completely sure that she had become smaller.

May stopped midway through getting up. The hands that she was using to push herself off of the ground weren't her own – they were far too pale and looked more masculine. "Ye gods," she managed to get out. And then, upon hearing the voice that spoke the words, she gave a startled cry.

Her mind reeled in shock as she finally got to her feet. She need a mirror, but she was unable to find one in the room she was in. The only thing she could use to see her reflection was a cauldron full of water and the panes of glass in the window.

She rushed to the cauldron.

A pair of horrified blue eyes stared back at her, their owner watching from a pale and young face. The boy in her reflection slowly raised a hand upwards to touch his face. She stood next to the cauldron for several more minutes, trying to wrap her brain around the concept that the boy in the cauldron was actually her.

When reality finally set in, she began to sob. Tears streamed down her face at the absurdity of it all. She had no idea why her body had suddenly become so drastically different, and had no idea how she could return to her old body.

* * *

After she somewhat calmed down, she decided to survey her surroundings. She needed to find out where she was and how she had gotten there. The last thing she had remembered was being in her dorm room. Figuring out what had happened in regards to her location was a start.

She was in a small cabin. There was a bed in a corner, the mattress neatly covered by a red sheet. A chest was at the foot of the bed. There was a bookcase to the left of the bed, and there was the armchair she had awoken in. Those were the normal parts of the room. But as she turned to where the cauldron was, she began to see things that didn't make as much sense.

There was a strange stand on a platform next to the cauldron. She watched as the brightly-colored contents of the three bottles on the stand boiled, bubbles rising up to the surface of the liquid. _Am I in some sort of lab?_ she wondered. She shifted her gaze to the two other things near the platform.

There was an odd purple object immediately next to it. She walked over to it to investigate what exactly it was, only to stumble back in surprise when it popped open. She stared at it with wide eyes. It took about a minute for it to return to its original position, and, during that time, May slowly made her way over to the last object.

It was a wooden stand with completely white armor on it, a strange object placed on the top of it. It looked almost like a head of some sort of creature. It had different shades of green on it, and a face that looked vaguely familiar. Frustratingly enough, she was unable to come up with where she had seen it before.

 _Well, that didn't help much._ She looked for something that could possibly provide more clues. She quickly decided to investigate the contents of the chest. She ran past the purple object – flinching slightly as it suddenly popped open – and sat down in front of the chest.

She hesitantly opened the chest.

Nothing happened.

Sighing in relief, she peered at its contents. There wasn't much in the chest; there was a couple of sticks bound together by a thin piece of string, a white material and an old bag. The bag was the only thing of interest to her. It felt heavy, and appeared to be full of something. She untied the string.

It was full of emeralds.

"Whoa," she said.

They sparkled in the light of the torches illuminating the cabin. All were identical in shape, and all possessed the same sheen and bright color. Not a single one had an imperfection. Each emerald could fit in the palm of May's now smaller hand.

She emptied the bag onto the floor, beginning to count how many the bag contained. There was a total of sixty-four emeralds that had been inside the bulging bag.

The allure of the gems eventually faded, and May began to wonder about their purpose. _Why are these here?_ She was in a rundown, wooden cabin that lacked electricity. Why would someone who lacked the money to afford basic utilities possess enough money to purchase sixty-four emeralds?  
Better yet, why sixty-four?

She glanced around the room. Understanding – though it was a preposterous understanding – began to dawn on her. The objects she couldn't understand the function of suddenly had names. The stand with the bottles on it was a brewing stand. The purple box was a skulker box. The head on the armor stand was the head belonging to a creeper.

And the emeralds on the floor made a complete stack of sixty-four emeralds.

 _I'm in Minecraft._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 6**

"I'm in Minecraft," she repeated. Speaking the words gave them more power and truth than when she thought it. Still, it was a hard thing to digest. The cabin she was in was the house she had made; the reason for the lack of tools was because she had lost the majority of them in a creeper explosion. The few pieces of furniture in her home had been constructed after the destruction had occurred or had been inside her inventory – which had been saved because of keep inventory – prior to the blast.

Her new appearance, she realized, was her skin. Her skin had been a human form of Sans from _Undertale_. It explained the difference in height, and the interesting outfit choice.

Which left her with the peculiar question of what had happened to her body on Earth, and why she had ended up in Minecraft. Although, technically, she wasn't _in_ Minecraft. She was _on_ Minecraftia. It felt like a necessary distinction to make.

She walked over to the window next to her bed and peered outside. She could see a village off in the distance. She had traded there many times, the villagers having offered high amounts of emeralds for simple items.

The villagers could possibly provide information, and she was in need of several important materials. She would need food, the necessary items to summon Herobrine, boots to replace her slippers, a bow and a quiver of arrows. Though items such as chalk didn't exist in the game, she was still hopeful. If her theory was right, the game only was able to access certain parts of Minecraftia. If all of the games' contents were the only things Minecraftia possessed, then living on Minecraftia would be far too difficult.

It seemed like going to the village was the best place to start.

* * *

She easily located the shops and vendors selling the materials she needed, the only trouble she faced being how difficult it was to adjust to her new voice and height. The latter of these two things made her prone to clumsiness, but by the time she was purchasing the items needed to summon Herobrine, she had mostly managed to walk without tripping.

She glanced over her shoulder out of habit as she purchased the chalk. Her gaze quickly returned to the chalk as she completed the transaction. Someone was standing behind her, watching her with red pinpricks of light rather than actual eyes. They were dressed in a gigantic suit of obsidian armor – they had to be more than six feet tall. The only thing that wasn't terrifying about their appearance was the old leather bag they had slung across their shoulder.

She moved onto the next vendor, who sold herbs, to purchase her rosemary. "One packet of chalk, please," she overheard the armored individual say. From the sound of their voice, the person purchasing chalk was male. His voice was deep and raspy; shivers raced up and down her spine at the sound of it. (He also had a distinct British accent, but that didn't seem as important as how terrifying his voice was.)

She focused her attention on the stall she was at. "Can I please buy some of your rosemary?"

The villager at the stall gave her a warm smile and nodded. "How much would you like?"

She glanced over at the man, worry immediately gripping her when she noticed he was no longer standing there. Instead, she realized as a shadow fell upon her, he was waiting in line behind her.

She quickly named her amount and bought the rosemary.

When she looked over her shoulder, she saw that the man was following her. She tried taking several random turns to test if her assumption was true. When she could still see him behind her, she knew it was correct.

Her pace started to speed up. Before she knew it, she was running through the village in an attempt to lose her follower. A boy suddenly exited one of the alleyways, and, unable to stop because of the abruptness of his arrival into the path, May and the boy went tumbling to the floor.

He was dressed in only a loincloth, and his hair was cut in the same style as the ancient Egyptians. She initially assumed he was a player that had been using an Egyptian avatar, but a quick check of the other planes proved her wrong. She had run into a spirit; to be more specific, he was a djinni.

She grabbed the bag containing her purchases and rushed to her feet. He opened his mouth to say something – from the expression on his face, it was most likely to complain about her running to him – but she was already running down the path and back to her house. She started to yell an apology, but was drowned out by the sound of the man's voice.

"Get up, Bartimaeus," he yelled at the djinni as he ran past. "Forget my earlier charge of collecting information – I need you to help me catch that boy!"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 7**

Walking was bad enough in the armor; attempting to successfully run was even more difficult. Still, she knew that slowing down was something she couldn't afford to do. She continued rushing through the town and randomly changing paths to lose her followers.

She was terrified. The man's appearance frightened her, and the fact that she would probably have to deal with a djinni as well made her heart skip a beat. She lacked any sort of protection from a spirit.

She stumbled after tripping over her armored feet, quickly recovering her pace afterwards.

That was when it hit her.

She was dressed from shoulders down in iron armor.

Though it wouldn't provide the same type of protection as silver would, it still would do a sufficient job at keeping the spirit several feet away. If she was lucky, the spirit could possibly complain to his summoner about the armor. She might even be able to gain more time to enlarge the distance between her and her chasers.

By the time she exited the village, she could no longer see the two when she looked over her shoulder. She sighed in relief, readjusted the straps to the knapsack she had purchased, and started the short trip back to her cabin.

* * *

The moment he was summoned, he knew that he had returned to Minecraftia. He could tell from the slight difference in the chirping of the birds, from the village he could see outside of the window, and from the skeleton using a tree as shade in the distance. Once he decided on a form, he knew he would be smiling from ear to ear.

But then he realized that he wouldn't be. His summoner wasn't going to be May, who had shown him surprising kindness. He had enjoyed the time they had spent together, but that had come to end the moment she had dismissed him. He wasn't going to be graced with the same luck he had earlier. He knew, though he didn't want to admit it to himself, that his new summoner would be the stereotypical magician Anda had told him of while their summoners had been sparring.

The magician was smaller than his usual guise. His eyes were the color of the lapis lazuli hidden deep underground, and strangely glowed. His hair was the same shade of white as the snow that had fallen when he had first been summoned. His hoodie, which was blue and open, was an interesting contrast with his black shorts. He wore a pair of leather boots. He seemed to be in his teens.

Memories came flooding back to him. Discussions with Anda on how to scare magicians. He would have trouble with killing his summoner, but if he could scare him out and do the deed, he would be able to return to the Other Place. Then May could summon him again.

It would certainly be a difficult thing to accomplish. He hadn't been able to kill May when he had seen her mistake, but maybe if he could convince himself that what he was doing was the right thing, he would be able to.

Taking a metaphorical deep breath, his form began to appear in the pentacle. A being of darkness stared down at the boy with red orbs in the place of normal eyes. Darkness licked the air around it, and when it offered a cold smile to the boy, it was with the same set of teeth as a shark. "What is your charge?" Herobrine hissed, his voice like needles on chalkboard. Maybe he would get to skip the whole killing his summoner bit and the magician would dismiss him out of fear?

The magician became even paler than he already was. _Please dismiss me already. I really don't want to kill you._ He took a shaky step backwards. Then, as if realizing how close he was to stepping out of the pentacle, he froze and stared wide-eyed at Herobrine.

"What is your charge?" he repeated. He was growing desperate. He knew the magician was terrified of his guise. It was only a matter of time to see how that fear would play into his summoner's actions.

"I charge you to not harm me or anyone else unless I specifically give you permission to do so or something tries to harm me," the magician managed to get out. His voice shook as he spoke. "Also, can you please change your guise, Herobrine?"

They stared at each other for about a minute.

"Why are you being polite?" Herobrine questioned in disbelief. "You're supposed to order me around. That's what I've been told magicians. But every single magician I've been summoned by has treated me as an equal!"

He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

He trusted what Anda had told him. Magicians were supposed to be corrupt and cruel. A spirit typically didn't enjoy the time spent with their summoner, but his previous summoners had both been incredibly kind and friendly towards him – and this boy was the same.

It just didn't make sense.

His summoner stepped out of his pentacle. He slowly walked over to the spirit. "I could never do that. We're on Minecraftia, but I'm guessing you already know that. Remember how it's a game on Earth? There was an update. Now anyone who updated is stuck on Minecraftia as their skin, and this is mine. My voice changed to match it – my vocal chords are different now. I know it's a lot to take in." He gave a weak smile. "I'm still trying to take it in myself."

He fell silent to let the words sink in. Once they did, Herobrine was shocked by the realization he had come to. "May?" he whispered.

The boy across from him nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 8**

"It's at times like this," he muttered to himself, readjusting the small telescope he had purchased in the village, "that I wish I had a scrying imp."

"Don't," his demon said with a stretch. "They're nasty little creatures."

He had been watching Mist for nearly an hour now. He had been shocked when Mist had exited the pentacle shortly after summoning the demon; what kind of charge could the boy have possibly given the spirit? Oddly enough, it appeared the two were now having some sort of conversation. "I wasn't asking for your opinion."

"So why exactly are we sitting here?" His demon faked an incredibly loud yawn. "It's not exactly the most interesting way to spend an afternoon."

He vaguely replied with, "He's a magician." His demon wouldn't possibly be able to understand how desperate he was to contact the boy inside the cabin. He was not only watching a fellow player, but was watching a fellow magician. They were in the same exact situation-

He nearly dropped his telescope.

"What?" his demon questioned.

"They just-just hugged," he managed to get out. There was no denying it. No matter how many times he looked away and looked back (rubbing his eyes and pinching his arm had become difficult tasks since the update), they were still hugging.

"That's impossible," the djinni said. He handed the telescope to it, and its brown eyes widened as it took a glimpse at the room they were watching. "That spirit must be insane." He grabbed the telescope out of his demon's hands and peered through it once again.

The demon inside had changed its form. It currently looked like the original default skin of the game, Steve, but it was when it quickly glanced to the side that he realized who he was looking at. He felt a sudden thrill of excitement, and the smile underneath his helmet finally felt right. "Its form just changed. We've found Herobrine.

There was an awkward silence.

"You're supposed to do something," he whispered. "You know, _go and capture it_."

"How?" When he didn't respond, the demon added, "Blow up the wall and make a grand entrance? Stealthily sneak in like an assassin?" It stared at him with brown eyes from a frustratingly human face that made his face feel warm every time he looked at it.

He put the telescope down. "I don't know. I don't go kidnapping people! You're a demon – a five thousand year old one, as you like to brag – so you must have done it at least once!" Upon realizing how loud he had gotten, he lowered his voice. "Just do it. I charged you to."

The demon crossed its arms. "I remember something along the lines of, 'Collect information on Herobrine.' You never mentioned capturing him."

He groaned.

When the demon stubbornly remained sitting next to him, he groaned louder than he had several seconds before and got to his feet. "Alright," he growled. He would just have to confront the boy and Herobrine on his own. It was a daunting task, but not impossible. He began to walk towards the cabin.

Suddenly, he thought of a possible way to manipulate the charge he had given the demon. He stopped. "I never charged you to capture Herobrine," he slowly began. "I did, however, charge you to stay with me at all times unless I stated otherwise, and to protect me at all costs." He was feeling rather smug as he glanced over his shoulder at the demon, who was beginning to stand up while giving him a completely murderous glare.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 9**

It was odd being hugged by Herobrine.

He was something from before the update. By hugging him, she could see how small she now was. He had only been a couple of inches taller than her prior to this summoning. Now the top of her head just barely reached his chin.

Without warning, the door burst open.

The man who she had desperately tried to outrun in the village was standing in the doorway, eyes oddly focused on Herobrine rather than her. "Hello," he greeted her. She tried to stop herself from trembling; showing her fear was also showing how weak she was. "My name is Raptor. Like you, I am a magician. I've taken a particular interest in your demon, you see, and I want you to hand it over to me."

She took a protective step in front of Herobrine. "Hi, Raptor. I'm..." She thought for several seconds. She obviously couldn't say May – this man was an enemy magician and she knew her name no longer matched with her gender. The only thing she had to go off of was her username, DemonicAlchemist. "Mist. And," Here she cracked her fists in what she hoped was a threatening way. "there's no way in the Underworld that I'm letting you take Herobrine."

She walked over to Raptor. "By the way, Herobrine is a spirit, not a demon, and isn't an _it._ He's a _he._ " Crossing her arms, she glared up at him. She had never been so terrified of someone. She knew there was nothing she could do to stop Raptor from trying to take Herobrine. He was just too big, and the only parts of him that weren't guarded by armor where his very creepy and eerie eyes.

Someone quietly cleared their throat behind Raptor.

"It wasn't a request," Raptor slowly said, accenting each syllable.

The person cleared their throat even louder than before.

"I _will_ resort to force if you don't hand Herobrine over, and don't you dare try dismissing him. Dismiss him and you will face the same consequences."

Whoever was behind Raptor was no longer clearing their throat; they had resorted to coughing rather loudly in an attempt to stop Raptor from ignoring them. With a groan, the magician briefly stepped aside to let them enter. May found herself looking at the djinni she had run into while buying supplies. _I think Raptor called him Bartimaeus._

She desperately searched the room for some sort of escape. The only exit was blocked by Raptor, and she knew she would be unable to win in a fight against him. Giving up Herobrine wasn't an option. Her gaze finally settled on her bow and arrows.

"I need to discuss this with Herobrine," she said, trying to sound as distraught as she had felt moments prior. It seemed to at least convince her friend. He was biting his lip and nervously glancing around.

She walked over to him. Lowering her voice, she informed him, "I have a plan to get us out of here." He masked his surprise at her statement with what sounded like a gasp of horror. "When I say we surrender, I need you to run over to my bow and arrows. Take them, and poke Raptor in the eye with the tip of one of the arrows."

"What about Bartimaeus?" he asked, quickly looking over her shoulder.

She hadn't thought about what to do with the djinni.

Both of them were quiet for a minute.

Raptor cleared his throat and pointed at a nonexistent watch on his wrist.

"You can grab a part of your iron armor and throw it at Bartimaeus," her friend suggested. She glanced at the armor on the floor. For once in her life, she was grateful for how unorganized she was; if she had put the armor back on the armor stand, Herobrine's plan would be useless. "Then both Raptor and Bartimaeus will have moved away from the door, especially if the armor falls in the doorway."

"But what about you?"

He gave her a sad smile. Her heart skipped a beat; what was he thinking of doing? When he finally gave an answer, she realized that the smile was just an act to convince to Raptor and Bartimaeus that they were discussing their surrender. "I'll be alright," he said, his voice no longer a whisper.

The two broke apart.

"We wouldn't be able to beat you and Bartimaeus," she slowly began. She put as much emotion as she could into the words she spoke. If they couldn't pull this off, they would be forced to comply with the enemy magician's demands. She looked over her shoulder at Herobrine. The sad smile remained on his lips. "Are you sure you're alright with this?"

He nodded. "It's a sacrifice worth making if it means saving your life."

Her gaze returned to Raptor. "Then I guess this means we're surrendering."

Before the magician had a chance to react to what she said, she made a dash for her armor and knapsack. She slung the knapsack over one shoulder and grabbed one of the iron boots. Not far away, Herobrine made a dive for the quiver of arrows and bow. He pulled out one of the arrows and wielded it like it was a spear.

She chucked the armor at Bartimaeus' face and Herobrine drove the arrow's tip into Raptor's eye.

Raptor screamed, his spirit giving a short but loud cry of pain from beside him. Bartimaeus took a startled step away from the iron boot that had fallen into the doorway. Herobrine and May bolted for the exit. Herobrine jumped over the iron boot – wincing – as he followed her through the doorway.

Neither the enemy spirit or magician tried to stop the two, each too preoccupied with the pain the friends had dealt on them.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 10**

He fumbled for the shaft of the arrow, a scream of pain still filling the cabin as he tried to pull it out. He wanted to simultaneously cry and die; though he had been injured before, he had never experienced pain like this. "You were supposed to be protect me!" he yelled at Bartimaeus as he got a grip on the arrow. "And don't you dare say that it wasn't part of your charge because we both know that it was!"

Finally, he pulled the arrow out of his eye. He dropped his bag onto the floor and watched as its contents rolled out onto the wooden floor. He quickly scanned the items for a bottle filled with red liquid. Grabbing the potion of healing, he turned his back to his demon and lifted up his helmet.

"I was just as surprised as you were by that attack," the demon indignantly replied. "I couldn't have protected you."

He drank the potion.

"Although it certainly is a shame that they didn't injure you more-"

The bottle fell to the ground and shattered into shards of glass as a scorching pain spread throughout his body. His helmet fell back down as he crawled over to his bag. It had been a potion of healing, so why was he in so much pain?! He could barely think clearly, and his vision was already beginning to blur.

He blindly grabbed onto a bottle with shaking hands. It took him several seconds to comprehend what he had grabbed onto. It appeared to be a potion of harming. He stared at, thinking about the possible cause for his pain. Could it possibly be the solution to his problem? There was a fifty-fifty chance that it would help him.

He opened the bottle. With complete disregard, he pushed up his helmet and drank its contents. If it was going to kill him, fine. He was already dying. It would just make his death swifter and less painful.

But then a warm feeling began to spread throughout his body in the place of the pain.

He sighed in relief as he gently placed the empty bottle on the ground.

"What happened to your face?" Bartimaeus incredulously asked. "It's definitely an improvement from what I thought you would look like, but it's not exactly hu-"

"It's my skin," he replied, pulling down his helmet. He hadn't wanted anyone to see what he looked like. It was hard enough for him to handle it. He knew others wouldn't have as kind of a reaction – though kind was certainly stretching it – as Bartimaeus had to his appearance.

He pushed the glass shards to the side of the room and returned his belongings to his bag.

His demon, crossing its arms, commented, "I'm not sure what your definition of skin is, but you definitely are lacking skin."

He sighed, slipping his bag over his shoulders. "I don't mean actual skin, Bartimaeus. Skin is the term used to describe a player's appearance in Minecraft. Some were luckier than others, like that Mist boy. He's human. I, on the other hand, am not."

Bartimaeus shrugged. "Quite honestly, I'd consider your current appearance an improvement from most humans." It looked out through the doorway. "So what now? We lost the kid and the spirit."

He silently gazed out the doorway. After several minutes of doing so, he walked over and quietly shut the door. He hesitantly made his way over to the bed. What once might have been the perfect size was now too small for him. "I'll stay here for now. Mobs spawn at night, if the game is anything to go on. Getting shot by a skeleton is not high on my list of priorities."

His demon's arms remained crossed, and continued to look outside. "Let me guess. You, just like an other magician, are going to remain here in the safety of the cabin like you said. I, on the other hand, am going to be sent out to face whatever horrors-"

"Actually," he interrupted, "I was going to dismiss you for the night."  
The demon turned to stare at him.

He didn't meet its gaze. "I don't want to lose my only demon to a mob. You don't know how things work here. Losing you would be a major setback." Before Bartimaeus had an opportunity to respond, he spoke the spell of Dismissal.

He started to remove his armor. The reason for his actions were exactly what he had told his demon, along with him not wanting his appearance underneath the armor to be seen. There was no other reasons for dismissing it. After removing the final piece, he sat down on the bed. It creaked from the weight of him as he laid down. His feet awkwardly dangled off the edge of it.

He readjusted his position on the bed.

He hadn't wanted to lose the demon because having to explain Minecraft and the current situation the players like him faced would consume too much time. Bartimaeus was a demon. He had to draw that line between the two of them, even though his heart was telling him he didn't want to lose Bartimaeus because he actually liked the djinni.

The words of Mist resurfaced from the depths of his mind.

 _"_ _By the way, Herobrine is a spirit, not a demon, and isn't an it. He's a_ he _."_

Magicians weren't supposed to trust their demons.

Magicians weren't supposed to care about them.

Magicians weren't supposed to be nice to them.

He rolled over and stared at the wall. There was no negative consequence of him referring to Bartimaeus as a spirit rather than a demon, was there? And asking Bartimaeus its preferred gender pronouns – which he suspected were masculine from the guises it had adopted – wouldn't hurt, would it?

 _I would just be being polite,_ he tried to convince himself as he fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction. Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own _Minecraft_ or _The_ _Bartimaeus Trilogy._ I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 11**

May repeatedly glanced over her shoulder as they ran away from the small cabin she had briefly called her home. To her surprise, it didn't appear as if Raptor and Bartimaeus were following them. Almost immediately, she was filled with relief. She had been terrified that their plan would fail or that they would be caught soon after escaping. But, by some sort of miracle, it seemed as if they had gotten out of a difficult situation.

The two stopped. Herobrine silently looked around the part of the forest they had come to rest in. May found herself doing the same after she caught her breath. The forest was filled with several types of trees, the most predominant ones being oak trees. She could spot several birds flitting from tree to tree, but was unable to spot any other wildlife.

"Night is falling," Herobrine finally said. He glanced nervously at the sky. "The nocturnal animals are going to be emerging from their dens soon..."

It took her a minute to comprehend what he just said. The wording was odd, but it made sense when she thought about the meaning. Mobs were essentially animals, and the hostile ones would only come at night. Therefore, he was talking about the hostile mobs.

That was when she realized that they were without a shelter.

"What should we do?" she asked, trying to ignore the strong urge to cry. She was stuck in a strange world in a body that was never meant to be hers, and without a shelter from the monsters, she was at Death's doorstep.

Herobrine leaned down and began to pick up sticks. He placed his small pile down on the ground, conjuring a small ball of fire. He set the sticks aflame. "I think the best thing we can do is to stay here. If you don't dismiss me, I can protect you while you sleep..." He stared into the fire's depths as he sat down. "...and I don't want to leave you alone. You don't know this world like I do."

She sat down next to him. The tears she had been holding back began to slide down her cheeks just as quickly as she tried to wipe them away.

"May?" Herobrine nervously started. "I-I'm sorry if I just hurt your feelings by saying that you don't know Minecraftia the same way I do-" He fell silent upon seeing her shake her head.

She attempted to lay down in a comfortable position. It was difficult, but she knew that she could somehow fall asleep next to the warm fire. "It's not your fault. Today has just been really crazy for me and it's just a lot to deal with."

 _Although,_ she thought as she turned to face the fire, _I'm kind of excited about whatever adventures we're going to go on._ It had been a long time since she had been given a chance to put her life on the line. The last time had been years ago, back on her first and only quest. _Which wasn't actually an official quest,_ she fondly remembered.

"Good night, May," Herobrine said. His gaze still hadn't shifted from the fire.

She closed her eyes. "Night, Herobrine..."

* * *

When May came to, it was in the Minecraft tutorial castle; to be more specific, it was the waiting area in front of the castle. She regarded the scene before her with a grin before turning around. It was another familiar thing from before the update. For the last couple of months, she had dreamed of this place and the boy who was sitting on the steps.

He pushed a strand of wavy black hair out of his face as she approached. Though his piercing green eyes were trained on her, the look on his face suggested that his mind was elsewhere. "Hi, Blake," she greeted him as she sat down at his side.

He gave her a strained smile. "Hi, May."

"What's wrong?" she asked. "You look upset. Did you get a bad grade on a test?" Blake said he attended a prestigious private school that was incredibly challenging and stressful. She had offered him a shoulder to cry on multiple times, and he had done the same for her.

He shook his head. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you." He looked her over. "What about you? Are you having more trouble getting into the math club?"  
It was her turn to shake her head. She opened her mouth to explain what it was, but then realized how crazy it would have sounded. She gave a nervous laugh. "I'm just a little stressed. That's all." After an awkward moment of silence, she asked, "What did you mean when you said I wouldn't believe you?"

He took a deep breath. "Was there any coverage of widespread tragedies sweeping the world in the news today? Such as a large percentage of people either dying or falling into comas for unknown reasons?"

"I don't know," she said. It wasn't a lie, but it also wasn't the entire truth. She hadn't seen the news because she was no longer on Earth.

Blake groaned. "Then this is going to be even more difficult than I thought..." He ran his fingers through his hair; it was a sign that he was stressed. "May, I need you to listen to what I have to say. It's incredibly important, and what I'm about to tell you is the complete truth."

"Alright," she promised. "I'll listen to what you have to say-Why are giving me a weird look?"

"I don't remember having any dreams before this," he slowly informed her, eyes widening as he spoke. "I live five hours ahead of you, so I usually end up having dreams prior to seeing each other – but here we both are. It's Christmas Eve, yet you've gone to bed earlier than usual. I know you're asleep in your bed because of your pajamas. So you have to be sleeping in a different time zone than usual."

She once again laughed nervously. "That's kind of true, I guess."

"You play Minecraft."

"Yeah, I do. I think we covered that the first day we met, when we both realized this was supposed to be the old version of the tutorial-"

"May, did you update to the newest PC version?" His voice was desperate, and his hands were shaking. He looked as if he was about to cry no matter how she responded. "Please tell me."

When she answered, her voice was quiet. "I did."

Tears started to slide down his cheeks. "I did too."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 12**

Once she finally understood what he meant, her heart felt as if it could soar with joy. "We should try meeting up!" she managed to get out. She knew she was grinning from ear to ear as she stood up. "I'm not sure how close I am to a town right now, but we could find out where we are and get back to each other in the next dream we share!"

Blake stared down at his hands. "I think it would be better if the two of us don't meet." His voice was quiet; May had to strain her ears to hear the words he spoke.

The happiness she had felt was instantly dashed. "But why? We could find a way out of this, Blake. If we worked together, we could help everyone stuck as their avatars. Don't you want that?"

The boy didn't look up.

Something was obviously wrong. In any other situation, he would have quickly agreed. The two of them had come up with so many plans to meet someday, and getting stuck on Minecraftia, though unexpected, was a perfect chance to do exactly that. He should have been eagerly agreeing to her plan, not telling her that they should remain separate.

"Why don't you want us to meet?" she slowly asked, keeping her voice calm and warm. Whatever his reasoning was, it had to be something serious. She was shocked to notice that his hands were shaking as he tried to hide them in his lap.

He finally said, "You'd be scared of me." He was trying not to cry, sniffing slightly and frantically blinking in an attempt to prevent his tears from falling. "I look nothing like me. If I'm terrified of myself, how are you supposed to feel any differently?"

She sat back down and threw her arms around his shoulders. May pulled him into a tight embrace. "Because we're friends, and even if I'm scared, I'll accept you because you're you."

He lifted a hand up to wipe away a tear.

"So do you want to try meeting up?"

He nodded and hugged her back. "I actually have a lead," he informed her as they pulled apart. "It's too complicated to explain right now, but when we meet up, I'll tell you what it is."

And that was when she woke up.

* * *

Her stomach hurt. She was desperately in need of something to eat, and before even looking for Herobrine, she found herself digging through her bag in search for food. She finally settled on a loaf of bread. Breaking it in two, she returned one half to her bag and kept the other one out to eat as her breakfast.

She looked to the side. "Morning, Herobrine," she greeted him in between bites.

"Good morning," he replied. He waited for her to finish eating her makeshift breakfast before getting to his feet and stomping out the fiery embers. When she stood up, he asked her, "What should we do?"

"We should probably start looking for another town." She grabbed her knapsack. After she put it on, Herobrine leaned down to carry her bow and quiver of arrows. She glanced over at him in the hopes that he would have some sort of idea, but the look on his face quickly convinced her that he was just as lost as she was.

After taking a deep breath, she randomly chose a direction and began to walk towards it.

"Uh, May?"

She looked over her shoulder at Herobrine.

"That's the direction we came."

"...Oh," May sheepishly replied, her face red as she turned around.

* * *

The beginning of their journey was quiet. May was too occupied with taking in the scenery of the new world she was in. She wasn't sure why Herobrine was so quiet, though she supposed it was because he was feeling nostalgic. She was feeling a bit nostalgic herself. Traveling through the countryside reminded her of the short-lived quest. Even though she and the others on the quest had gone their ways, she still recalled the time with a fond smile.

The smile became a proud one. Imagine if they could see her now! It was _her_ adventure, and she would be the one to save the day with the help of _her_ friends.

Her gaze shifted to Herobrine. Though the look on his face was a bitter one, his eyes still held a look of joy. _What happened to him?_ she wondered. Despite calling him her friend, she still knew so little about him. She wanted to know, but knew that he didn't feel like talking about it yet. She would have to bite her tongue until he was ready to open up.

And then there was the issue with Blake. What could his skin possibly look like? The mystery was killing her. But, as long as he wasn't a giant spider, she would be okay. She shuddered at the realization that they were a threat. _Ye gods._ She had forgotten that she would have to probably deal with one of those at some point in time. Hopefully they would never run into one.

"Herobrine," she finally said. He looked over at her, still remaining silent. "I, uh, need to tell you something. You know how humans dream?"

He nodded, but his attention seemed to be elsewhere.

"Well, if we're magical, we have magical dreams-" She suddenly understood why he was being so silent. The sound of someone talking reached her ears; she soon joined him in his silence. It didn't sound like Raptor or Bartimaeus' voices, but there was still the chance that they were dealing with a foe.

Herobrine wordlessly handed her the bow and quiver. She slung the quiver over her shoulders and raised her bow. The voice grew increasingly loud as the person approached.

"I haven't felt a thrill like that in years, Cass!" _So there's at least two people._ "The looks on their faces when we set off the TNT was priceless. I just wish we could have seen Dresden's reaction – it's a shame that we had to hightail it out of there!"

Then someone emerged from the bushes.

To her surprise, she found herself staring at only one person. The voice had belonged to a woman, but the person that was staring at them with wide eyes was a man who looked like he was a male version of Alex. When May checked the planes, he was human. So why was she getting such a bad feeling about him?

He glanced from May to Herobrine.

"Herobrine of Minecraftia..." the man slowly said with the same voice from before. He took a menacing step forward. "I never thought that I would run into you."

May withheld the urge to groan. They had barely escaped Raptor. Now would they have to escape this man as well?

Without warning, he toppled Herobrine to the ground in an embrace. The stranger somehow seemed both alarmed and ecstatic about the situation. From the look on his face, Herobrine was just as confused as May was about the sudden hug. But, as she learned when he finally spoke, he was confused for a different reason than she was.

"Anda?" he whispered in disbelief.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 13**

With a large grin, the man eagerly nodded. "In the flesh!"

" _My_ flesh," a second voice interjected. May was shocked to realize that it was coming from the man tightly hugging Hero. The man let go of Hero and got to his feet. He brushed the dirt off of his pants and looked from Hero to May. It seemed like his entire personality had suddenly changed, but May had no idea why. Herobrine seemed thrown off by the change as well.

The man suddenly walked over to May. The look on his face changed once more, and the voice that he spoke with was the first one. "So you're Hero's summoner..." the stranger commented. "Hero, want me to kill him for you?"

May gulped. "K-Kill?"

Herobrine rushed over to the two of them and stood between them. "It's alright, Anda! Mist is my friend – I haven't been harmed and I even know Mist's real name!" He crossed his arms. "But that's not the problem. Why do you look like that on all of the planes? I know that it's you, but I can't see your form on the seventh plane!"

"That's because Anda was summoned into my body," the second voice explained. So Anda was a spirit that Hero knew? And the second voice belonged to the actual magician? The thought made her head hurt. How was that even possible? "My name is Cassius Jones."

 _I wonder if I can call him Casey-_ No. Now was not the time. She had to focus on the situation at hand, which was _not_ how this was a perfect opportunity to reference _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles._ "So why are you in the same body...?" she finally asked.

"There was a group that ran experiments on us," Anda explained. "We pretended to go along with the whole thing because we were pretty sure it wouldn't end well if we didn't, so here we are! We just blew the place sky high about a day ago."

* * *

He had been awake for nearly an hour, but he still hadn't summoned Bartimaeus. He still wasn't sure what he should do. Should he go get more information from the town? He needed to know where he was in relation to the rest of the world, but turning around would mean making the distance between himself and Mist even larger. He had already lost time by trying to figure out what the best course of action was.

He groaned. And he had thought trying to decide what classes to take had been difficult. This presented a whole new slew of challenges.

As he stared at the wall across from him, the sound of singing floated in through the open window. It wasn't Mist's or Herobrine's voices – it sounded like it belonged to an adult man. But who would possibly come to a small hut in the middle of nowhere?

The song was a familiar one. It was a _Minecraft_ fan song. He also knew that it had been recommended to him once, but he couldn't recall what it was called. Though he wished he remembered its name, the voice's owner was getting much closer.

"I used to rule the world..." the voice trailed off as its owner arrived at the door to the hut. Raptor frantically searched for some sort of weapon he could use as he heard a knock on the door. Realizing that his potions bag was on the other side of the room and that he would never be able to reach it in time, he took a deep breath and approached the door.

He opened the door.

And about a second later, the man's limp body fell right onto him. Raptor staggered back in surprise. Had the man died?! He frantically checked to see if he was still breathing. When he saw that he was, he picked up the man and carried him over to the bed. It fit him much more than it had fit Raptor. Now that the man was lying down, Raptor rushed over to his potions bag and withdrew a potion of healing.

He returned to the man and carefully opened his mouth. Popping the top off of the bottle, he let its contents fall into the man's mouth. There was change in him almost immediately. He sat up – bumping his head against Raptor's helmet – and clutched his forehead in agony. "Ouch!" he exclaimed. Then he briefly looked down at his stomach before his gaze shifted to Raptor. "Do you have any food?"

"I do," Raptor said, crossing his arms. "But a little show of gratitude would be appreciated. I used a healing potion on you, and those aren't easy to come by." _Especially now. I could die trying to get the ingredients._

The man gave him a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry. It's just that I haven't eaten anything for the past couple of days, and I don't think that's a good thing to do. But thanks for the potion!"

 _No wonder he passed out._

Raptor returned to his bag and withdrew an apple he had found on his way to the cabin. The man eagerly took it out of his hands. As he watched the man eat, he looked at him more closely. He had an almost wild appearance, his black hair going down to his shoulders and a stubble on his chin. His clothing was completely black, from the tips of his boots to the duster he was wearing. His personality was the only thing keeping him from coming off as completely terrifying.

The man quickly finished the makeshift meal and threw the apple's core out of the window. "So what's your name?" he asked, getting to his feet and looking around the hut. "Nice house, by the way. It's probably the best I've seen in awhile."

"It's not mine," Raptor admitted. "And my name is Raptor. You?"

The man looked over at him and grinned. "It's Dresden. I notice that you have some chalk and herbs. Are you a magician, Raptor?"

He nodded.

Dresden clapped his hands together. "Perfect!" he exclaimed with an even larger grin. "I'm one too."

Why didn't the smile reach his eyes?

The other magician crouched in front of the chest at the foot of the bed and opened it. As he started to go through its contents, he commented, "So, what are you doing here? You said that this place doesn't belong to you." He grabbed a bundle of sticks and pretended to brandish it as weapon before chucking it over his shoulder.

"I was trying to find someone," Raptor vaguely said. Dresden was certainly another player, and would jump at the opportunity to catch Herobrine. He had things under control. If magical history was anything to go off of, Dresden would most likely murder Mist to get Herobrine off of his hands.

And that was something that Raptor had to prevent from happening.

"Cool," Dresden commented. He got to his feet, unable to find anything of interest in the chest. "I was too, actually. His name's Cassius Jones. I'm going to catch him – he's got some information I dearly need. You?"

Raptor glanced out through the doorway. "I'm looking for a boy named Mist."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 14**

Dresden watched him from atop of the bed as he drew the lines of the pentacle. Just like the day before, Raptor was terrified that he was going to make some sort of mistake. The hands that held the chalk were far bigger than his actual ones, and the armor certainly didn't help. It had been easy to whip up a pentacle back on Earth. Now his movements were painstakingly slow, and he kept checking the parts that he had already drawn to make sure that they were correct.

He could have used the ones that Mist drew, but the fool had barely used any protections in them and he felt far more safe in his own ones.

As he drew out the final piece of his pentacle, Dresden hopped off of the bed. He inspected the pentacle that Raptor was going to be standing in before looking over at Mist's. Nodding to himself more than to the other magician, Dresden walked over to it. "So who are-" Dresden paused. He looked at Raptor before inspecting his own pentacle. "So what's the name of the demon that you're summoning? And what's its rank?"

"Bartimaeus. It's a djinni." He looked back at the pentacle across from him. "I'm going to summon it now, so don't distract me."

He took Dresden's silence as a sign that he wouldn't interfere.

Having long ago committed the summoning words to memory, he recited them with relative ease. There was one instance where he almost faltered, but he quickly recovered and continued speaking. They had already fallen behind Mist. If they were going to catch up to him, they would need to hurry.

Bartimaeus appeared in the pentacle. It took on the form of the Egyptian boy from the day before. Raptor wondered why the form meant so much to the djinni, but he doubted he'd be able to get an answer from it in the near future.

Before either the summoner or the demon could speak, he heard laughter coming from behind him. He looked over his shoulder, confused, to see Dresden laughing so hard that he was crying. "Frog," he simply said, tears rolling down his face as laughter continued to fill the small hut.

Raptor looked over at Bartimaeus. The djinni was staring at the other magician, seemingly dumbfounded by the reaction to its appearance. But then it narrowed its eyes in suspicion. "Frog?" Raptor asked, unsure who he should address the question to.

Dresden suddenly fell silent. "Its true form looks like a frog..."

"I don't look like a frog!" Bartimaeus indignantly protested.

Raptor stared at Dresden. "No it doesn't," he said. "I can see it too. I'm not sure what you would call that, but a frog is far from it."

"People interpret things in different ways," the other magician replied, but he hesitated before giving a small shrug of indifference. He almost certainly trying to hide something, but what was it? Try as he might to put the pieces of the puzzle Dresden presented together, he was unable to. The older magician was too much of an enigma.

* * *

May was confused. She still was struggling to wrap her head around the idea that the essence of a spirit was nestled inside of the seemingly human man before her, though Herobrine seemed to have at least understood enough to focus on something else. He gestured at the trunk of a tree that had fallen over long before they had arrived in the area.

One of the two entities controlling the body before her nodded, but she had no idea if Cassius or Anda had done the action. "It might take awhile to explain things," the spirit commented. May watched as both Herobrine and the human man sat down on the log. Feeling like she was intruding on something she shouldn't have been a part of – Herobrine and Anda seemed to have known each other quite well – she sat down on a nearby rock instead.

"So there's this group of ambitious magicians," Anda started, folding Cassius' hands and placing them in his lap. Her voice was one of the few noticeable sounds in the quiet of the forest; even the birds had fallen silent as if they wanted to listen to her tale. "They thought that by summoning a spirit into their own bodies, they could access the magic a spirit possesses. But they would never risk their own lives to test their theory."

May studied the speaker's face. There was a shift in it. The twinkle to the eyes changed and became more harsh, and the curling of the lips went down ever so slightly. Anda had completed the beginning of the narrative. Cassius had taken over once more. "So they found me, who they believed to be a traveling magician that no one would miss. Knowing that they would grow violent if we resisted, I agreed to help them with their tests. This," he said, gesturing at the entirety of his body, "is the result. Their test seemed successful, and they prepared to conduct more of them on unwilling subjects. So we destroyed the place and left. The only reason that Anda is still inside of me is because I don't have the proper tools to make pentacles."

"I think Mist might have some," Herobrine quietly commented.

May checked her bag. She did, and she gave a nod to show them that. Then she focused on the topic of the conversation. Anda had mentioned someone before noticing the spirit and his summoner. His name had sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't figure out why. "You mentioned someone with the name Dresden earlier," she said. "How is he involved? You don't seem to like him."

"They brought him in six days ago," Anda replied, green eyes meeting blue ones. There was hatred in them, and May was completely certain that the hatred also belonged to Cassius. "He was a wreck; supposedly he had stumbled into the building after nearly being killed by a zombie. Once they found out he was a magician, they decided he would be a good subject. He wasted no time in agreeing. A spirit named Marius of Britannia was summoned into him, and his trial was a success – save for the brief case of amnesia he experienced. Then he was back on his feet and back to being a typical magician."

There was a moment of silence.

"So only the magician is in control?" When one of the two in Cassius' body nodded, May's stomach churned in horror at what that meant. Marius had never agreed to take part in the experiments, yet they were living the consequences of that.

 _Can being used like that even be considered living?_


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 15**

Dresden sneezed.

The sudden and loud noise startled both Raptor and Bartimaeus so much that each jumped inside of their respective pentacles. Bartimaeus eagerly leaned forward as Raptor almost fell out, settling for a very amused snicker when the magician regained his balance.

Raptor, narrowing his eyes into a glare directed at the djinni, took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. He had been _so_ close to being killed. A sneeze could have been his downfall, and that realization made him feel absolutely pathetic. It also made him feel more than a bit terrified. The thought of dying in another world in a body that wasn't even his was a horrifying one.

"I wonder if someone's talking about me," Dresden mused from his pentacle. Then he gasped. "Or maybe it's a sign that I've gotten sick. Oh God. What if I've caught a case of pneumonia?"

Dresden continued to ramble on about how he had to be on his way to the grave. Raptor listened. It would have been very comical if Dresden didn't have a completely serious tone to his voice. The thought of falling ill seemed to terrify him, and that, in turn, scared Raptor. It was disconcerting to hear someone with such a carefree attitude face a situation with such seriousness.

"I don't think you have pneumonia," Raptor said after a moment of hesitation. "I've had it before, and a sneeze is nothing compared to it."

"I don't want to di-" Dresden paused mid-sentence. "...Really?"

Raptor nodded, though he was still looking at Bartimaeus. The older magician gave a sigh of relief in response, and, content with the situation, turned his attention back to the summoning. He quickly issued Bartimaeus his charge. He had to do so quietly since Dresden was listening to every word that he said. Its charge was to locate and capture Herobrine without killing Mist in the process.

The djinni acted indifferent the entire time, though Raptor noticed that there was an interested look in its dark brown eyes when he mentioned the last part of the charge. As he left his pentacle, Raptor recalled his thoughts from the night before. They had seemed like a good idea at the time, but with Dresden now in tow, it would only be a sign of weakness.

Speaking of Dresden, he had an important question to ask him.

Raptor walked over to the other magician, who, by this point in time, had also left his pentacle. "Are you more familiar with this area?" he questioned. "I lost my map before the update."

Dresden gave him a grin and withdrew a rolled up piece of parchment from pocket. It was slightly bent, but it seemed to be in a good condition besides that. He unfurled it and held it out as far away as he could so he could get a good look at it. Raptor and Bartimaeus crowded around him to see as well, though, like before, Bartimaeus acted completely uninterested.

Raptor pointed at a small town called Grafton. "I was there yesterday," he said. He studied the map for several more minutes in an attempt to figure out where he currently was. Once he did, he looked for the nearest town besides Grafton. He guessed that Mist went in the opposite direction of the town. "We need to go to Swangrir."

Dresden nodded and rolled up the map again. "Sounds good to me," he agreed.

And with that, they were on their way.

* * *

A tense silence had fallen upon the four.

The topic of Marius would always be a sad one, but the only thing they would ever be able to do is kill them and Dresden so they could finally have freedom. Though it was the lowest, easiest type of freedom they could give him, Anda knew that there was only one other option.

And that option was an impossible one; Dresden would never willingly dismiss Marius from his body. He reveled in the power that had been given to him. He had brought it up and shown it off almost constantly after he had gotten it.

Cass knew this too, but he stubbornly tried to deny the reality she had grown accustomed. He was too used to the kindness that humans could possess, and believed far too much in the power of their words.

So Anda decided that the best response to the silence was talking about something else. She didn't consult with Cass to see what he thought about her topic of conversation. He might have said it was insensitive to pry into the life of someone else, but she didn't care. "So, Mist," she began, turning her attention to the boy with the strange white hair. "how old are you?"

"I'm fifteen," he replied. He was watching her, trying to figure out why she was so interested in him. He didn't seem wary, but he did seem curious. Which was a good trait in her books.

"How long have you known Hero?" she asked. She was starting to go into the more personal territory.

He quickly glanced over at the young djinni. "About a month." Then, after a moment of silence, "But we're already pretty close," he defensively added.

Anda studied his face. He looked so young, yet there was a hardened glint to his eyes. This child – for that was what he was, compared to her – seemed as if he had been through a lot. He also seemed pretty close to Hero. Seeing that Hero had nodded and not objected to Mist's comment, it must have rung true.

"I've got a question for you, Cassius," Mist suddenly said.

Cass nodded. Intrigued, Anda raised an eyebrow and listened to what the boy had to say.

"Are there any strange people around here?" the young magician questioned. When Cass gave him a blank look, he elaborated on his statement. "People that don't seem normal? They either look vaguely human or completely human. They shouldn't act naturally."

 _Is he talking about the Abnormals?_ Anda wondered. That was what it sounded like, but why would he ask about them in such a vague way? How could someone be so oblivious to a part of modern life on Minecraftia?  
 _He has to be,_ Cass replied to the spirit inhabiting his body.

Hero glanced between them and his summoner, with a look of understanding dawning on his face as he did so. He didn't say anything, which only made Anda more curious. What was the story behind the question and Mist?

"They're called Abnormals," Cass answered. "I haven't seen many, but Anda and I try to keep away from them for the most part. When I saw one as a kid – back when they first showed up – I was terrified of it. It didn't show emotions. Its face remained the same, and its voice was completely monotone."

"And they're unpredictable," Anda added, recalling all of the strange things she had seen Abnormals do. She was never able to figure out what they would do when she ran into one, which was something that greatly frustrated her.

Mist was silent after the spirit spoke. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but was unsure what he was supposed to say. This continued for another minute. When he finally said something, his voice was quiet. "What do you think about other worlds, you two?"

"They exist," Anda said.

A hopeful look appeared on his face. "What if the Abnormals were from another world?" Mist hurriedly continued, watching them with an eagerness that hadn't been there moments before.

 _That's impossible,_ Cass immediately decided, but Anda withheld her judgment. Other worlds certainly existed; besides Minecraftia, she had also served on two versions of a planet called Earth. She didn't know how someone would be able to come to Minecraftia from another planet, but the possibility seemed there. _You think that's possible?_

"That would make sense," Anda slowly replied. "But why are so interested in the Abnormals?"

Mist shared another look with Herobrine.

"I'm one of them."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 16**

Anda laughed. It was only when she seemed to notice that May had a completely serious expression on her face that she fell silent. "You're serious?" the spirit questioned in disbelief. Even though May nodded, she still seemed unconvinced. She turned to look at Herobrine instead.

"Mist isn't lying," the djinni quietly replied. "I've been to the world that the Abnormals come from, Anda. They access this place through technology that this world probably doesn't have, thinking that they're playing a game."

The young man leaned back ever so slightly, crossing his arms as he did so. It was impossible to tell if Anda or Cassius was responsible for the action. "It would explain why they can be so unpredictable," Cassius mused. "But why are you suddenly here?"

May shrugged, blowing a strand of white hair out of her face. "I'm not sure. I woke up in this body a day ago. I've met one other player so far, but he wasn't the _friendliest._ "

There was a brief silence.

She was grateful that the two seemed to have believed her, even though they initially thought she was making it up. She didn't know exactly how she was supposed to get back home, but having the presence of two people who had been on Minecraftia more recently than Herobrine had been was comforting. Hopefully, they would chose to travel with Herobrine and her. They could use their knowledge and their company.

"I'm sorry if this comes off rude, but what exactly are you like normally?" Anda finally asked. While the previous questions had certainly been attempts to pry into her life, this inquiry seemed much more polite. She stared at Anda in shock, having been unprepared to hear the beginning of the sentence. "Because I know there's a chance that the gender of that body might not be the same as yours. And since we're going to probably be sticking around for awhile..."

She let the end of the sentence hang in the air, but May understood where she was going.

"I'm a girl," she replied with a grin.

She got a smile in return, and it didn't matter who was responsible for it – she was just happy that the hurdle had been overcome.

* * *

They spent the next hour discussing their individual plans – which happened to be heading to the next town – and what May and Herobrine had gone through in the past day. Once everyone had the same knowledge, they embarked on their way to the nearby town of Swangrir. Cassius had never been to the town before, but Anda had gone there years ago on what she said was a date. She didn't say who she was with, but the pained look that suddenly appeared in Cassius' eyes was the only hint that Herobrine needed to put the pieces together.

It was a look that had stared back at him countless times.

The trip to the town was surprisingly uneventful, though everyone was on high alert. With Raptor and Bartimaeus certainly closing in on the distance between them, and Dresden possibly trying to find Cassius and Anda if he had survived the explosion, no one could be completely at ease.

Even checking into the town's only inn, which was called the Black Dragon Inn, was calm. Both May and him gained confused and curious looks from the occupants of the tavern underneath the rooms, but no one confronted them.

Sitting in the room Cassius had paid for and watching Cassius draw a pentacle on the floor, he could almost convince himself that he was back in the days when he had first been summoned. Cassius was the spitting image of the girl who he had come to know so well during those peaceful days.

He was sure that it couldn't just be a coincidence. There was no way that something like that could be, and he was almost completely certain that was why Cassius had been summoning Anda.

 _He's your grandson, isn't he?_


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction. Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own _Minecraft_ or _The_ _Bartimaeus Trilogy._ I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 17**

Dresden gave an impressed whistle upon seeing the room of the inn they were staying at. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting but this room was certainly better than it. It was furbished with three large beds. It was excessive, since Bartimaeus didn't need to sleep, but Raptor hadn't wanted to alert suspicion. Several torches enveloped the room with their warmth and light, and there was a small bucket in the corner to relieve themselves in. Paintings lined the walls of the room. There was a homey feeling to the place.

He hadn't been paying attention to the name of the tavern when they first arrived in the town, and he didn't feel like he needed to learn what it was. His focus had been directed on the two he would be sharing this room and possibly traveling with.

He hated the thought of being stuck with the two – especially with the looks Bartimaeus had been giving him – but he didn't have any choice. He needed Raptor's knowledge of the game if he was going to get through this. Bartimaeus' abilities would also be useful, seeing that he didn't want to test the limitations of this new body. It would be better if he could could get Raptor to summon a different spirit that didn't suspect him, but he doubted that Raptor would listen to him. He had no reason to.

He heard Bartimaeus make a very loud, fake yawn beside him, and Raptor groaned underneath his breath. He looked over at the two of them with a look of disbelief on his face. This place was absolutely wonderful! Bartimaeus probably knew that, but Raptor, unsurprisingly, had been spoiled by the riches that accompanied being a magician.

Dresden decided to take matters into his own hands. He kicked his boots off back in the direction of the closed door. Giving the other two a childish grin, he rushed over to the closest bed.

"What are you doing?" Raptor questioned as Dresden climbed onto the bed.

The older man slipped off his jacket and threw it beside the bed. "Having some fun," he replied with the same grin plastered on his face. Then he bent his knees and jumped. He heard the springs creak underneath him, but it wasn't by much. These beds were perfect for jumping on.

Raptor nervously glanced at the door. "You're going to disturb the other people staying here."

Dresden jumped again. "Oh, come on! People make noise in hotels all the time, Raptor. Live a little!" When the magician stubbornly remained by the door, Dresden turned his attention to the unmoving djinni. Their eyes briefly met, but Dresden quickly looked away. Trying to talk more with him would be foolish. His slip-up when the djinni had first been summoned had planted the seeds of suspicion, and a magician acting friendly towards a demon was the only confirmation Bartimaeus would need.

"I'd break the bed," Raptor said, crossing his arms.

Dresden frowned. "You're no fun," he commented, jumping a little bit higher this time for emphasis. As his feet touched the bed once more, someone knocked on the door. Raptor turned around and opened it. A familiar voice politely asked them to stop making so much noise, but Dresden didn't see who it was.

Raptor apologized and shut the door. Dresden, realizing that their neighbors _had_ heard him jumping on the bed, flopped down onto the mattress. "Sorry," he sheepishly said. Raptor remained silent, though Bartimaeus snickered. "So what did that guy look like?"

"He was in his late teens to early twenties, with red hair and green eyes...Why?"

 _Oh._

 _That's why I recognized his voice._

"I thought I knew him," Dresden slowly replied. What should his course of action be? He could completely take Cassius by surprise, but he needed his sleep if he was going to think things through clearly. He needed to be alert if he was going to come up with a way to capture him that didn't include possibly tearing this body to shreds. "He's the magician I'm looking for."

Raptor glanced at the door and then back at Dresden. "Are you going to go get him?"

He shook his head. "I'll surprise him tomorrow morning."

 _I'm so close, Pres._

* * *

Cassius softly closed the door behind him. May gave a relieved sigh when she heard the people in the room next to them fall silent. She had been trying to sleep when the noises had started, and had been grown increasingly frustrated when they hadn't let up. It was a good thing that Cassius had gone to talk to them; she would have probably lost her temper.

"So what are they like?" the woman sprawling across one of the beds questioned, her dark brown eyes sparkling with curiosity as she expectantly stared at Cassius. Herobrine sat close beside Anda.

"The one who came to the door was very intimidating," Cassius admitted. "He was wearing all black armor, and something about his eyes didn't seem right."  
May shot up. Herobrine was equally alarmed, though his reaction wasn't as noticeable as hers was. When Anda and Cassius turned to them for an explanation, May hurriedly got out, "That's what Raptor looks like."

They all stared back at the door. Did he know that they were there? Was he waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike? The thought of Raptor – or probably Bartimaeus, for it would be easier for the djinni to slip into the room – coming in the middle of the night terrified her.

"I don't think he knows we're here," Herobrine hesitantly concluded, though there was no way to know if he was right. He looked over at Anda. "We can keep watch tonight."

Anda nodded. "You two humans can sleep. Hero and I have a bit of catching up to do, anyways."

May nervously nodded. She wasn't sure exactly how she managed to do so, but, half an hour later, she was fast asleep in her bed.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 18**

Herobrine watched the sleeping form on the bed he was now sitting beside. He could see the gentle rise and fall of May's chest as she shifted a bit. She had a calm, peaceful look on her face, though her eyebrows were scrunched a bit in concentration. He was glad that she was able to sleep. He had been worried that his summoner would be unable to with the threat hanging over their heads.

Anda got up from her spot beside Cassius and walked over to the much younger djinni. She sat down beside him in a form that he recognized. It had been the form that she had used when they had met years ago, though both of them hadn't known at the time that they would grow so close.

"Hey," she said.

It was hard to bridge the silence that had consumed the two of them, and it was difficult to determine what was the right thing to say. He eventually settled on giving her a slight nod in lieu of a proper reply.

She nodded too, sensing how awkward he felt. "Is she nice?" Anda questioned, pointing behind them at May. "She seems like she is from how quickly you've grown attached to her."

"She is," he answered with a small smile. He glanced at May once more, but she still had the same look on her face when he did so. "I thought she was going to be more like the magicians you told me about."

Anda looked over at Cassius' bed. "Some of them are different, I guess. I always thought Alex and Steve were the exceptions, but I suppose I can be wrong once or twice."

She said this in a teasing way, giving Herobrine a mischievous grin. She was the one who had always won in their arguments, or the competitions that their past summoners had roped them into doing. The memories that her comment brought back made him smile a bit more, but the smile had become a bitter one. He knew he could never return to the time when he would spend day after day exploring the world with his first summoner, huddling beside the fire on cold winter nights as they kissed underneath the stars.

Anda took a deep breath. "...I hate to ask you this, Hero, but I need to know...Alex and I never found out. What happened to Steve?"

He looked down at the floor underneath him. "...We were out exploring the woodlands several regions away. It was such a nice night. We had been talking about what we planned to do when we returned home...A creeper took Steve by surprise when I went to go get firewood."

She pulled him into an embrace that he dearly needed.

* * *

The door swung open, and he rushed into the room. He ran towards the unmoving boy laying on the hospital bed.

He watched the boy's chest gently rise and fall for several minutes. Then tears began to well up in his eyes. He crouched down beside the bed, as if being closer to him could somehow make everything better. It wouldn't, and he knew it.

Slipping his hand into the boy's much colder one, he gave it a light squeeze. His hands were always cold, but now it seemed to be a death sentence. It had only been several days since they had last exchanged goodbyes for the night and shared a passionate kiss outside the boy's dorm.

But now it felt like it had been an eternity.

Suddenly, he realized how wrong this situation was. His hand wasn't his own, and he could feel a bandage sliding down from the top of his head as his eyes widened in horror. He let go of the hand and stumbled away from the unresponsive teenager. He frantically searched for a mirror to confirm what he already knew to be the truth.

Almost as if by command, one appeared before him. He stared at the man in his reflection. The man he never was and never could truly be. The intimidating magician watched him with terrified wide eyes, and all that he could do was stare back at himself. He tried thinking of anything that could help him, but he knew that there was no way to.

Before he could come up with something that he could do, people in lab coast came bursting into the room and grabbed onto his arms.

He struggled to get back to the boy. "Let me go!" he cried out, but they ignored his pleas. They continued to bring him towards the open door. Their grips were far too strong now that he was stuck like this, and all that he could do was continue to shout and yell. He didn't want to lose him again. He was so close to being with him. Why could they never be together?

"I'm sorry, Arthur!" he yelled as the door shut behind him.

Dresden's eyes shot open. Though he could see Bartimaeus watching him from the corner, he rolled over onto his side and sobbed.

* * *

May had never meant to overhear what Herobrine had told Anda about who she guessed was his previous summoner, but she had been having trouble falling asleep. She had been hoping that she would have before he finished speaking. It was only after he fell silent that sleep began to take over. As she appeared in front of a familiar castle that she was beginning to lose her fondness for, her mind wandered back to what she had heard. Was Herobrine's last summoner really _Steve_? It would explain his appearance – he could be trying to honor him. But how long ago had that happened? Decades? Centuries? How long had Herobrine been hurting?

She felt someone tap her shoulder. The sudden feeling of someone touching her caused her to jump in surprise, which in turn make Blake take several startled steps back, stumble, and fall to the ground. The two teenagers stared at each other for a minute before breaking out into laughter.

May held her hand out.

Blake grabbed it and let her pull him to his feet. When they stood side by side, he was smaller than her. In fact, he was only a little bit taller than her Minecraft skin. "Did you get to a town?" he asked, getting to the point.

She normally would have teased him for forgetting to say hi, but she was just as anxious to learn how close they were to each other and how soon they could meet. "I did. Did you?"

"I did. The two-" He paused for a moment, seemingly unsure of what he should say next. "-people that I'm traveling with ended up in the town of Swangrir."

She threw her hands onto his shoulders, her heart racing as she rushed to get her reply out. "Blake, I'm in Swangrir!"

His green eyes widened.

"Are you staying in the Black Dragon Inn too?"

"Yes!" he eagerly replied. "May, we could meet up tomorrow! I think down in the inn's tavern would be the best place to meet. We can try heading there as early as possible in the morning, and go from there."

They spent the rest of the dream chatting about all of the things they would do and talk about once they met up. It was only after May awoke that she realized she still didn't know what Blake's skin looked like.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 19**

After he awoke, Raptor stared up at the wooden ceiling above him. The bed was much more comfortable than Mist's had been, and it took a good deal of effort to get out of it. When he finally did minutes later, he quickly found that there was only one other person in the room. The boy staring back at him from a young yet mature face had to be somewhere in his late teens. He was very attractive, and Raptor felt heat rush to where his cheeks would be as he tried to figure out who the boy was.

It was only when he checked the planes that he realized he was looking at Bartimaeus.

Raptor pulled the hood to the cloak he was wearing down further than it already was. Bartimaeus – and the missing Dresden, for that matter – was aware of what he looked like underneath the armor. Bartimaeus was a spirit, which meant that he was used to seeing things that weren't human. But something about the current situation suddenly made him feel much more conscience about his appearance.

The spirit looked as if he didn't care about what Raptor was doing, but there was a certain glint to his dark blue eyes that betrayed that he was intrigued by the action. Raptor sat in silence for another minute, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to say now that Dresden was out of the picture and he was faced with the enigma of the spirit's new choice in form. There was so much attention to detail that it was astonishing. A little stain on the sleeve to his shirt. A small scar on one of his cheeks. Even his nails were just a tad uneven.

 _Maybe I'm looking at someone Bartimaeus once knew,_ the magician thought as they continued to remain silent. It would explain why the guise seemed so alive, rather than just an imitation of a human. He thought back to the other form Bartimaeus had used. It had so many little details too, didn't it? Did that mean that the boy Bartimaeus had taken the form of was a testament to something in the past?

Bartimaeus had made the decision to honor those two boys, whoever they happened be. Realizing that Bartimaeus cared enough about the people he meant to do that made Raptor reevaluate his previous actions.

Bartimaeus must have been judging him the entire time.

The djinni gestured at the door. "Dresden went out to explore the town," he simply said as Raptor got to his feet. The magician nodded, suddenly quite sure of what he needed to do. He kicked one of his boots out of the way as he walked over to Bartimaeus. The sudden proximity clearly startled the spirit; he opened his mouth to make what would have probably been a snarky comment, but Raptor beat him to speaking.

"I'm sorry," he started.

"For what?" Bartimaeus questioned. This conversation seemed to be throwing him. He betrayed it with how he quickly looked from one side to the other in what appeared to be an attempt to escape. "For your horrible attitude? For your lack of appreciation for the most talented djinni – no, spirit – you've ever met?"  
Raptor nodded.

"Wait, what?!" Bartimaeus' mouth dropped to form a little 'o', though he quickly recovered by closing it. When his summoner remained silent, he added, "You are Raptor, right? Not some random bloke that snuck in here last night and stole his cloak?"

"I am Raptor."

"...Is this a trick, then?"

He shook his head. "You're actually the first spirit I've summoned," he admitted, though he didn't say why that was the case. Bartimaeus probably had already begun to put the pieces together – he seemed to be smart enough to figure something like that out. "Which doesn't excuse how I've acted towards you, but it's why I didn't realize how stupid the whole demon thing is. And I meant to talk to you about this yesterday, but then Dresden came and I was worried about how he would react if he saw me being nice to you. So I kept quiet."

Bartimaeus was surprisingly silent.

"So I'm sorry for being a jerk towards you, Bartimaeus. You didn't ask for that, and I shouldn't have been so stupid. And, um, I'm not sure if you'll ever forgive me or even want to be close to me, but do you want to be my friend?"

He held his hand out to the djinni. He doubted that Bartimaeus would shake it; there was no reason for him to. The spirit briefly looked down at it with suspicion in his eyes. "And if I say no?" he slowly asked.

"Then I guess I'll dismiss you?" Raptor hesitantly replied. "I'm new to this to. The spirit and magician thing, not the friend part. Because, contrary to what you might believe, I'm not as hopeless as I look."

To his shock, Bartimaeus shook his outstretched hand.

* * *

May's heart raced as she descended down the staircase that led to the tavern. Being alone in the small space was surprisingly terrifying. She had never felt this nervous before, though she had been in multiple situations that had been anxiety inducing. She tried to flatten down the stubborn strands of hair that continued to stick up, but it was to no avail. She gave up as she entered the tavern. Blake would just have to deal with her messy bedhead.

She glanced over at the only exit. The others were somewhere out there, off restocking on the supplies that Cassius needed. She had suggested that Herobrine should go along with him and Anda to catch up with the other spirit, but the lack of her best friend made things much more nerve-wracking.

She glanced around the mostly empty tables and at the few people standing around in the corners of the tavern.

If she had arrived later than Blake, he would be mirroring the action. It was a shame that they hadn't discussed what they looked like prior to the dream ending. It would have made everything so much easier, and she wouldn't be half as nervous. Everyone in the tavern seemed so much bigger than her. She kept the hood to her hoodie up and searched for someone who could be considered terrifying.

With her back turned to the staircase, she didn't see who had entered not long after her. The tavern fell silent as the person ducked under the doorway and stopped near her. She already had her suspicions from the sound of the armor clanging together. Her heart pounding in fear, May snuck a quick glance in the direction of the new arrival.

It was Raptor.

She resisted the urge to run out of the tavern. She had to wait for Blake. Then she could grab him by the arm and the two could flee from the tavern, Raptor never being the wiser. May took a deep breath. She could do this.

"Mist?"

"Raptor?" she replied, resisting the childish urge to stick her tongue out. She looked up and over at him. The two silently stared at each other before looking away.

"You're lucky," he finally said, crossing his arms. "Bartimaeus is out gathering information, and I'm waiting for someone. I can't leave even though remaining here is a major inconvenience."

She mirrored the gesture. "Well, I'm also waiting for someone." The two remained silent for several minutes. She continued to glance at the staircase, hoping that Blake would arrive soon. "Is the person you're waiting for a friend?" she finally asked Raptor. She didn't meet his gaze, instead looking around the room in the unlikely possibility that she had somehow overlooked Blake.

He continued to watch her with his piercing red eyes. "They are." He tilted his head ever so slightly. "What about you? Is the person you're waiting for a friend?" The tone was innocent enough, but something about his voice made it seem like there was an ulterior motive to his question.

She nodded.

Raptor fell silent once more, his gaze no longer traveling throughout the room. It was focused solely on her. This continued for several minutes until he spoke once again. "How tall is your friend?" He made a gesture with his right hand, roughly the height of the top of where his stomach was.

Her blood ran cold.

That was Blake's height.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 20**

At first, May couldn't think of what to do. The most she could with was staring up at the intimidating magician with wide, horrified eyes. A shiver ran up and down her spine as she found the courage to glance back over at the staircase that Blake should be coming down. He should have been here by now. They had awoken at the same time, and she remembered Blake saying multiple times in the past that he was an early riser.

She looked back over at Raptor. The magician remained unmoving, though his eyes appeared to follow her gaze as she desperately looked around the room in search of Blake. When she realized that he really wasn't there, she did the first thing that she could think of.

She darted over to the staircase. The action took Raptor by surprise, as he didn't try to stop her as she passed him. Then she rushed up the stairs as fast as she possibly could, all too well aware of the sound of Raptor chasing after her. When she reached the hallway, she listened for any sounds of someone trying to escape. To her horror, everything sounded completely normal.

"Mist!" Raptor cried out from behind her. His hand grabbed onto her shoulder and spun her around.

She looked up at him as defiantly as she could. This was bad. She didn't have a weapon on her, and Herobrine was gone. Raptor was much bigger than her. If it came down to it, he would easily beat her in a fight.

But Blake's life was at stake here. No matter how scared she was or how hopeless she was at the moment, she needed to get through this so she could help him. "What did you do with Blake?!" she demanded, all the while trying to slip out from under his hand. His grip was much too strong for her to make any progress as she glared up at him.

"I didn't do anything," Raptor replied. "Please calm down, May."

If she had been scared before, hearing him utter her actual name made her absolutely terrified. She was frozen in her fear, and he knew it. This had to all be calculated – going down when Blake was supposed to be there, and now saying her birth name. He had to know how much both of those things frightened her.

"Yes, you did!" she objected. "He would have never told you my name unless you tortured him, and..." Wait. That didn't make much sense at all. Why would Raptor even go after Blake in the first place? Sure, it had explained how he knew so much. But it wouldn't explain how he knew Blake's actual height, or why he had known that Mist and May were the same person.

She stopped struggling.

"Ye gods," she managed to get out, this time staring up at the gigantic person before her with surprise and confusion. " _You're_ Blake."

He nodded.

* * *

They sat down in May's empty room, though Blake opted to sit on the floor so the combined weight of himself and his armor wouldn't break the bed. They were both silent for a moment. It was hard to figure out what she was supposed to say in a situation like this. Out of all the people that Blake would be, she never expected him to be Raptor. They seemed so different, but, as she sat on her bed, she felt as if she looking at the face of one of her closest friends.

"I didn't realize you were a magician," she finally said.

"I didn't realize you were one either," he quietly replied.

They returned to silence for another minute. She wondered what was underneath the armor. Whatever it was, it didn't seem like Blake was comfortable with her seeing it. "May's my birth name," she finally said. "Just so we could get that done with. I'm sure Blake isn't yours. I don't think we're the same type of magician."

The words were meant to hurt, and they did their job – Blake stared down at the ground. She cared about Blake, but she couldn't excuse how he had treated Bartimaeus. "...It actually is mine," he said. "Blake Croft is my real name. When we first met in that dream world months ago, I thought I was dreaming. I didn't see any problem with saying it."

"Oh," she commented, honestly surprised by what his response.

He looked back up at her. His unnatural red eyes met her own as he continued talking in a voice that was both not his and now his. "And Bartimaeus and I are friends now. He's the first spirit I've summoned, and you made me realize how stupid I was being back when we first ran into each other."  
A grin spread across her face.

"I didn't order him to get information, by the way. Today, anyways. I explained where I was going and then I asked him to go look for stuff about you and Herobrine."

She slid off the bed and went to go sit down next him. Once again, she was dwarfed by him. Though it had certainly bothered her earlier, she didn't mind it as much now. "Where did you learn about spirits? I knew someone a couple years ago who taught me the ropes to summoning spirits – she was actually in love with one."

"So people _do_ fall in love with spirits," Blake commented under his breath. May guessed she wasn't supposed to him say that, though she was starting to figure out what his train of thought was. When he spoke again, it was much louder than before. "I've lived at private boarding school for as long as I can remember, and part of the curriculum is learning to summon spirits."

"Like an evil Hogwarts?" May asked.

An absolutely terrifying laugh left Blake's armor. "I guess so. Also, I'm sorry for how I acted when we first ran into each other. I saw Herobrine, and I thought that because you were a magician, you would want to keep him to yourself even if I asked politely."

"So you used your appearance to scare me," May concluded. "Oh. If we're saying sorry, I should probably say sorry for hitting you in the eye with an arrow."

He dismissed the apology with a wave of the hand. "I deserved it. Do you want to go find our other friends? We can catch up along the way."

She got to her feet and smiled down at him. "Sure!"


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 21**

Dresden observed the shops and stalls lining the side of the road with a critical eye, trying to determine what he could possibly use to capture Cassius Jones. His nightmare had brought with it an urgency that he had been ignoring the past few days. He needed to get the magician if he wanted things to return to normal in the very near future.

He heard villagers call out the names of prices and their objects, but the things that he could have used – a sword, some armor or even another tool if he got desperate – were all far too expensive for him to buy. He needed something cheap that would capture Cassius without too much trouble. His gaze finally settled on one of the smaller, less fanciful stands. There was two kids sitting down behind the tiny thing. From their similar facial structure, they were probably brother and sister.

There wasn't many items on the stand, but the two kids gave him proud smiles as he approached. His emeralds bumped together in his pocket. This would be the place that he would buy everything he needed – not just because they were offering supplies for a much cheaper price, but also because he wanted to keep those smiles on their faces.

"Hi," he said, leaning down and peering at their collection of wares.

The two looked at each other, their smiles grow larger as they realized that he was going to buy things from them. One very impulsive decision later, Dresden found himself the owner of everything that they had been selling and his pockets completely empty.

 _Now that I have everything, it's time to set up my trap._

* * *

Cass exited the large shop, his arms laden with a bag full of food for them to eat on their journey to wherever they were going. Which, he suddenly realized, he knew nothing about. He doubted the others did either – their only plan the day before had been to get to a town where they could sleep the night out in. What were they supposed to do after that?

He scanned the streets for the two djinn that had come with him into the center of town. Both were more interested in observing the sights of the place than actually buying materials, and he didn't blame them. It was a quaint, comfortable little town that was far from shabby. If he wasn't so desperate to put more distance between himself and Dresden, he might have stayed there a few more days.

He eventually spotted them two stores down, peering into the window of the bookstore with interest. He had been wrong, having forgotten Anda's love of books and not having guessed that Herobrine shared it.

Suddenly, he felt someone's hand go into his pocket. The movement was quick, but it was clumsy, as if the person was unused to pickpocketing. He spun around, but all that he saw as the thief made off with his emeralds was the cloak that they were wearing. "Herobrine, Anda!" he called out. The two turned away from the bookstore and saw him rushing after the thief. The two quickly raced after him as well.

He chased the thief through the town, slipping through crowds of villagers and their wares. He nearly lost them several times, but, by the time they arrived on the edge of town, he knew for certain that they had gone into the woods. He quickly followed them down an old path that was littered by fallen tree branches and a thick layer of leaves. It winded and curved, and it didn't take long for him to lose sight of the pickpocket.

He went to pick his leg up to continue running, but it couldn't move. The other one was stuck as well, though he couldn't see what had gotten him. He struggled to break free as the thief walked out of the woods. They casually tossed the bag of emeralds from one hand to the other. "Hello, Cassius," the thief said in all too familiar voice.

Dresden pushed back the hood to the ratty old cloak and give him a grin.

Then he walked over to the trapped Cass, slipping the bag of emeralds back into the pocket they had been stolen from. Dresden withdrew a single piece of rope from his own pocket and tied Cass' hands together. "You're stuck in cobwebs, in case you were curious," he explained, seeming to be quite proud of his work. "Now, Cassius, I spent a lot of money and time trying to track you down. So I suggest that you do as I say, or I will get very, very mad."

He glared at him. Before he could come up with a good reply, a Detonation suddenly went off beside Dresden. The magician barely managed to get away in time, tripping as he tried to escape and fall flat on the ground. Anda and Herobrine, who had been lingering behind Cass, took the opportunity to get him free of the cobwebs and to untie the rope. Cass was glad that they had acted when they did – Dresden had sounded like he meant business.

Cass unsheathed his sword. Herobrine and Anda flanked his sides, waiting for Dresden to make a move after he scrambled back to his feet. "Thanks, Anda and Herobrine," he said. They waited for several more seconds.

But Dresden didn't do anything that could be considered threatening.

He just stared at the three with wide, dark brown eyes. There was a look of defeat to his face, but he also seemed almost confused by the sight of them. His gaze swept across them several times. He was searching for something, but Cass didn't know what. It finally settled on him. No one said anything. None of the three knew what they were supposed to say.

"You thanked them," Dresden whispered. His lips quivered, and his eyes started to grow moist. "And Anda was the name of s-demon in your body."

Anda was quick to correct him. "Actually, it's pronounced _spirit._ "

A laugh escaped Dresden's lips. It was quickly followed by more, each sounding more broken than the last. He had a smile on his face, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You were supposed to be my way out," he said. The laughing grew louder. "You were supposed to be in league with those scientists."

"Spoiler alert! We're n-" Cass raised a hand up. Anda, getting the message, fell silent. This moment felt different than his other encounters with Dresden. The magician had put on a cool demeanor before, but this moment felt much more raw and full of emotion. He was beginning to get the same feeling that Dresden was. They had been successful in their attempt to trick the people at the laboratory – none had suspected they there really weren't on their side.

As the laughs became sobs, Cass realized with a sudden clarity that Dresden had been just as successful.

He slid his sword back into its sheath and walked over to the sobbing man. He fished a piece of spare piece of cloth out of his pocket, holding it out to him. Dresden stared at what was extended. "You were acting too, weren't you?" Cass simply said as Dresden slowly grabbed it out of his hands.

After a moment of hesitation, the magician nodded.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 22**

Dresden blew his noise with the already stained handkerchief. It was humiliating to be crying in front of the three of them, but there was nothing that he could do to stop the flow of tears. Cassius couldn't begin to comprehend how important he was supposed to be. The knowledge that he should have possessed would have hopefully been enough to show him a way back home. And though he knew the chances of that were fairly slim, he had clung _so_ desperately to that hope. He should have realized that the possibility of Cassius having the information he need was incredibly small, but he had been too caught up in his euphoria.

So now here he was, a pathetic shell of the old him, crying in front of essentially strangers.

At least they didn't seem to know who they were actually talking to. He could work with that. Keeping his true identity a secret made him feel a little bit better. It was a silly thing to take pride in, but it lifted his spirits up ever so slightly-

"So, Marius," an irritatingly familiar voice suddenly said as its owner appeared around the corner, "when are you going to drop the act?"

The hand holding the cloth fell to his side. Though his eyes were still moist, tears had stopped rolling down his cheeks. Bartimaeus smirked at him. He was surprisingly standing beside Raptor and a boy that he didn't recognize, but that part wasn't what mattered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied through gritted teeth.

The original three stared at the two magicians and the djinni with confusion in their eyes – or, in Herobrine's case, on his face – but none of them spoke. He supposed it had to do with his supposed lie.

Bartimaeus continued to give him that frustrating smirk. He was getting a very strong urge to punch that grin off of his face. But he resisted, and settled with glaring at him instead. Didn't he get that this was a horrible time to be acting upon his guesses? Then again, he had heard stories of Bartimaeus. To Bartimaeus, his weakest moment most likely seemed like the perfect opportunity to deal him a crippling blow.

Bartimaeus walked over to him, coming to a stop when they were only a foot or two apart. They were roughly the same height, a fact that had escaped him when he had first seen the djinni use that guise. The spirit eagerly met his glare. "We both know that a magician can't be in control when a spirit is summoned into their body. I'm just waiting for a tentacle or two to pop out of your back, or maybe a nice set of dorsal fins."

"Bartimaeus?" Raptor hesitantly questioned.

"This experiment that you told me about?" he started to reply, still watching the man before him. "It's not the first time a greedy magician decided to get power. It happened on another world. The spirits took control of their bodies and had everyone fooled until the uprising occurred. And _he_ was there."

"That's a pretty big claim," he said with a laugh.

Bartimaeus grinned. "You knew about my guise then."

He stopped laughing. _Shit._ He knew he shouldn't have laughed when Bartimaeus was summoned, but it had been a completely uncontrollable response. Anyone would laugh if they had seen that pathetic excuse for a frog guise.

Herobrine quietly asked, "So you're the spirit?"

There was no way he could possibly deny it. Bartimaeus had shown the group assembled every secret he was aware, and the only one he still possessed was one that he couldn't possibly use to benefit him. It wasn't his, but he would take it with him to the grave if he had to.

And he was an actor. He had always had been one, but now that skill was even more necessary than it had been when he was pretending to be Dresden. That had been easy. He hadn't changed his personality. He had simply adopted a set of lies as his reality. Now he had to do both, which was also something he was accustomed to.

"I always thought those spirits were crazy, but this is far more liberating than I'd ever imagined," he informed them. He spread his arms out wide – it seemed like an appropriate thing for an antagonist to do. He added in a maniacal grin for good measure. "Dresden would be squirming in disgust and agony if he knew the freedom that he had granted me. Now no one can ever summon me again, and I'm free to do whatever I want to."

Then he laughed a very evil laugh, because that was exactly what all good villains did.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 23**

May wasn't quite sure what was going on.

She knew what had led up to this moment. She and Blake had left the hotel in search of their companions, save for the man currently laughing manically. They had run into Bartimaeus fairly quickly. He had taken some convincing, but he seemed to believe that they were actually best friends. It probably helped that they were no longer trying to hurt each other.

May did her best to explain to the two of them the situation with Cass, Anda and Dresden when they learned where the first two and Herobrine had gone. They hurried off into the forest to find the man who was supposed to be Dresden.

But apparently he was the spirit? She couldn't see the benefit in lying about that, and she also couldn't see why he was suddenly acting so evil. He had been crying when they had entered the clearing. May was more open to believing that the latter action was the fake one, but everyone else seemed to be convinced otherwise. Blake readied a potion from his bag. Cass withdrew his sword. Bartimaeus, Anda and the very confused Herobrine all prepared to use the magical abilities at their disposal.

But May didn't make a move for her bow.

She knew monsters. She had shot a few with her arrows, and they had, for the most part, been evil enough. She also knew spirits. She didn't know a lot of them, but she knew that they were never simple. After years of enslavement, they had become masters at concealing their emotions. Even Herobrine never let her see the full extent of his pain.

And Marius? He was an open book right now. He seemed like the classic villain in a story, and that wasn't right. None of them knew him well enough for him to be showing his true colors. The only reason he seemed to have such a major change in demeanor was because he had been backed into a corner by Bartimaeus' reveal of his identity. This wasn't something that he wanted to do. He felt like he had to do it. But why?

No one moved.

May searched his face for anything that would give away the truth, but he was frustratingly good at hiding it. He had stopped laughing now, but the grin that he was giving them perfectly matched it. She needed to figure out what was really going on now, but she didn't have the time! If she didn't do something soon, they were going to try killing Marius.

Then again, she had always been fairly good at improvisation.

She took a step forward. Herobrine gave a startled cry in protest of her apparent foolishness, but she ignored it and continued walking over to Marius. Though the grin remained, she could see the nervousness in his eyes. He hadn't been expecting this.

May looked up at him when she was standing right before him. In return, he lifted one foot up like he was about to take a step back. After several seconds of debating, he put it back on the ground and stared down at her with a hardened glint to his eyes.

"You're scared," she said.

"Scared?" he scoffed. "I'm not scared of you or your little friends."

She shook her head. "You are, but not the other spirits. They make sense to you, right? It's the magicians that scare you. You don't know what we're feeling right now. You don't know what we'll do if we figure out the truth."

He hesitated. When he spoke again, he had become much more tense. She had hit the nail on the head and he knew it. "The truth? The truth is that I'm resisting the urge right now to engulf you in a Detonation."

"You care about Dresden," she guessed. It was the one thing that would truly explain the actions leading up to now. Spirits were easier to handle. They were bound to have at least met one human that they had bonded with over the years. Magicians, on the other hand, were less likely to view spirits as their equals. Revealing his secret meant giving the three of them the opportunity to harm his summoner and the "offending" spirit at the same time.

"I don't," he said.

His voice was shaking this time.

"Marius, Herobrine and I are best friends. Raptor and Bartimaeus just became friends a little more than an hour ago, and Cassius and Anda are practically joined at the hip. None of us would judge if you and Dresden were actually pretty close."

He crossed his arms. He didn't believe her claims, and she didn't blame him. Magicians usually didn't think highly of spirits. She had to keep going with her argument. If she didn't win him over, she didn't know what they would do.

"Herobrine knows my real name," she added.

From a little bit behind her, a raspy and deep voice with an unmistakable British accent spoke up. "Bartimaeus knows mine as well," Blake said. "I told him it after you left the room this morning. It's Blake."

"Mine's May."

She watched Marius' face to see what his reaction was. Though she had expected his eyes to widen in surprise, she hadn't expected the grin that spread across his face. She also hadn't anticipated him to grab her by the shoulders. "May Acker?" he said. He leaned down ever so slightly and narrowed his eyes in concentration. " _You're_ a magician?"


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 24**

She tried to break free of his grasp, but his grip was too strong. He couldn't have – shouldn't have – known her full name! They had never met before. She knew what spirits she had met, and Marius wasn't one of them. "How do you know who I am?" She was trying to keep her voice steady, but she could hear it shaking as she spoke.

Luckily, Marius' attention was elsewhere. He looked up and over at Herobrine, who seemed torn between remaining where he was and helping May. "Hero _brine_. _Brian._ You must be Brian Addams!"

"H-How-"

He looked back at May. She continued to struggle, but his grip was too strong. She dug her heels into the ground. She hated being in a position where he held all of the power. He could easily defeat her in a fight. Even if she did somehow beat him, she needed to know how he had found both of those things out.

"I'll tell you if you and Herobrine come with me," he promised. The grin stubbornly remained on his face. Gods, she hated him so much right now!

She crossed her arms. "You're going to tell us right here with everyone else."

"I don't trust Blake," Marius argued. "You're a decent person. I haven't seen enough of him to judge if he is or isn't, and this doesn't concern Cassius and Anda in the slightest."

"And me?" Bartimaeus asked.

Marius, shrugging, pointed at the woods right behind where he was standing. "I just don't like you. Anyways, you two, let's talk back there. Then you're close enough to your friends to call out for help if you feel like you need it, and I can get the privacy I'm looking for."

May and Herobrine exchanged a look before nodding.

* * *

As they stepped into the woods, the hurried whispers of her friends reached her ears. They couldn't understand why Marius' knowledge was so terrifying; the ability to summon spirits had never been something for them to conceal. She glanced over at Herobrine. Since they had first met, their friendship had never been something to be open about. Herobrine's presence on the grounds was unnoticeable. If they walked together, they were bound to attract attention.

She looked over at him. He had a worried little frown on his face, and he had stuffed his hands into his pockets. He was just as unnerved as she was. For the first time since they had met Cass and Anda, the connection between them was incredibly clear. Even if they had other friends, their bond held a power to it that they couldn't match. The thought of such a personal connection oddly made heat rush to her face.

Her gaze returned to the woods. They were surrounded by dark oak trees that eerily towered over the three, and a small pumpkin patch was growing beside one of the aforementioned trees. The forest was absolutely terrifying.

Marius casually sat down on one of the pumpkins. The posture he adopted was calm and open, but May still tensed up. She cautiously approached him, Herobrine several steps behind. They stood in an awkward silence for the next minute.

Then Marius stuck his hand out.

"Let's me reintroduce myself. I'm Marius of Britannia, but you can call me Puck," he said with the same grin from before. Even though she had been irritated by his previous actions, the sudden bright glint to his eyes made her want to smile too.

"Puck Ward?" he added. She stayed silent. The name sounded familiar, but May couldn't figure out why. Had she met him somewhere before? But if she had, wouldn't she have remembered him clearer?

A disappointed sigh left his lips. "You've spent the past four months trying to get into the math club, but you don't even know my name?"

She took a (hopefully) menacing step forward and glared up at him. "How do you even know that? That's incredibly private information. Only Anne, Arthur Croft and the principal could possibly know that, and you're not anyone of them."

He plopped down onto the ground. When she continued to give him the most angry look she could possibly muster, he groaned. "I'm the vi-" he started, but then Herobrine pushed May to the ground.

The rough action surprised both May and Puck. She didn't know how to respond to the response, but Puck opened his mouth to protest the abrupt interruption. Herobrine covered his mouth with the hand he wasn't using to hold down May. She tried to break free. Why was he doing this? When she tried to say something, he moved his hand up to her mouth.

Though she couldn't make out the exact words, Puck angrily said something to Herobrine. It sounded suspiciously like a swear. When words failed him, he tried to bite his hand. Herobrine skillfully pulled it back, only to put it back when Puck was convinced he had been triumphant.

She wished she had the option to do something like that. There wasn't anything physical stopping her. But harming Herobrine wasn't right, even if he had decided to do something she that she didn't agree with. She closed her eyes. She needed to think. Why was Herobrine doing this? It didn't seem right.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp little pain from near her mouth. The hand pressing against her mouth also felt odd; it had suddenly become hard and cool. Her eyes shot open. She knew it had to be her best friend, but the sight of an enderman towering over her made her heart race. When she looked over at the place where she had felt the pain, she saw a claw brushing up against her skin.

Herobrine stared over the bushes. As he watched whatever was happening, she realized she no longer heard anyone talking. What had happened to them? Herobrine glanced back at Puck and May. His eyes lingered on Puck, who was still partially laying atop one of the pumpkins.

"I'm sorry," he quietly apologized. "But I don't think you're going to like this."

He pulled his hands back. Puck and May eagerly sat up, the latter of the two wanting to see what Herobrine had been staring at. Puck tried to get to his feet. But before either one of them to do either thing, Herobrine grabbed the two closest pumpkins, carved a hole in their bottom with his claws and placed them on their heads.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 25**

The world was dark.

A small bit of light trickled in from underneath his neck, but it wasn't enough to clearly make out the slimy pumpkin innards that were pressing up against his cheeks. Several strands of it slid down his jacket – Artie's jacket – and the smell was overwhelming. He had never felt so nauseous. He frantically tried to get the pumpkin off of his head, but someone had their hand on the top of it.

A claw suddenly poked through the pumpkin.

He jerked his head back in alarm, but was met with the same problem as before; he couldn't move. All that he could do was nervously watch Herobrine giving him a way to see. As light flooded in through the two unsymmetrical eye holes, he turned to look at May. She oddly was letting Herobrine carve the holes with a certain calmness. How was she not brimming with anger like he was.

"What was that for?" Puck demanded.

Herobrine pointed over to where the group was. "There's endermen." As if that somehow explained the strange action, he gestured for them to follow him over to the bushes he had been looking over. Puck got to his feet and reluctantly did so.

There was at least twenty endermen in the clearing, surrounding four unmoving bodies slumped on the ground. How had they sneaked up on them? Bartimaeus was at least five thousand, and Anda had to have at least a few centuries under her belt. Neither one should have been caught by surprise! It didn't make sense.

"That doesn't explain the pumpkins," he argued.

May stared at the group of endermen. "They can't see us or, I guess, hear us," she explained. "It's a trick from the game. I never thought it would carry over." She looked over at Herobrine. "We have to do something."

He shook his head. "There's too many of them. The only reason we're alright is because we were farther away – I think they're going to take them somewhere."

What was he supposed to do? It wasn't like he could go and put this body's life on the line. Even if he wanted to help the people he had previously hated, he couldn't. He had to let it happen. Invisibility wouldn't help him here. The moment he started letting punches fly, they'd figure out exactly where he was standing.

He gave a startled cry as the endermen and the four disappeared without warning. May spun around. When she saw that they were gone, she rushed into the clearing. Herobrine and Puck rushed after her. She frantically looked around. She was desperate. She knew they had been taken, but she didn't want to accept her new reality.

And then she did, and the sound of her sobs filled the woods.

If they were close, he would have comforted her.

* * *

Puck pulled a seed out of his hair. They were no longer wearing the pumpkins, but he kept finding remnants of it. His gaze traveled over to May. Herobrine had spent the past half hour by her side, offering soft words of solace that could never help.

He sighed and got to his feet. May had always struck him as someone with a hard demeanor, but it looked like she wasn't as good with loss as he thought she was. It looked he would have to do the work here.

"I've played a bit of Minecraft," he started. He didn't look over at the two of them. He didn't think he could deal with seeing such a broken look on May's face, or the worried expression on Herobrine's. "Endermen are from the End. Are they like that here too?"

Herobrine quietly spoke up from behind him. "Yes."

"So that's where we'll go," he decided. Loss was something that should never be given into. May was losing hope like he had, and he couldn't allow for that to happen. She had to stay strong – then she could fight for the future she knew she deserved. "We'll find a way to get there and rescue your friends. We'll come up with a plan. We'll fight. We'll do everything we possibly can, but we're not going to give up."

He heard May stand up. When he looked back at her, he was shocked to see that the despair had vanished from her eyes. It was replaced by a startling determination. This was the look of someone who had fought before.

What kind of past did May possibly have?

"Alright," she agreed, slinging her bow and quiver onto one shoulder.

"You don't have to help us," Herobrine quietly pointed out.

He shook his head. "I'm not some sort of monster. You need help, and I doubt the two of you can handle something so challenging on your own. You're going to need all of the people you can get." Neither one objected to his comment. There was no denying it. Twenty endermen had been too many for the three of them to handle, and there was bound to be countless others in the End.

She was silent for a moment. Then, after taking a deep breath, she said, "You never finish explaining things earlier."

He crossed his arms. He had, but she hadn't gotten the hint. It looked like he would have to give the _entire_ explanation, which was going to be difficult with her lack of recognition when it came to his name. Still, he needed to tell her. She was never going to trust him if he didn't.

He opened his mouth.

 _...I can't move!_

Puck wildly looked around the clearing, but the only other people there were Herobrine and May. He felt his hands out for someone using an invisibility potion. Whoever had spoken had spoken right into his ear, so why didn't he feel them when he reached his hands out.

"What are you doing?" Herobrine hesitantly asked.

He looked back at the two. "Didn't you hear that guy?"

"No," May slowly replied. "It's just the three of us."

He shook his head and went back to searching. He had to be _somewhere._ He hadn't been imagining it. Even if he had, why would he think of something like that? "It's not. I swear I heard him! His voice sounded almost completely identical to mine right now, but it wasn't me speaking. He was talking right into my ear!"

He still had control over his limbs, but there was a sudden stiffness to them. Every movement felt like he was overcoming a new challenge. It was difficult to even turn around. Someone had to be responsible for this, but who? And why would they do something like that?

And why was he the only one who seemed to be struggling?

 _Why won't my limbs move? I'm talking but it's not me talking. I'm moving, but someone else is controlling my movements. I'm trapped!_

Puck covered his ears with his hands, but the voice remained as clear as it already had been. He would just have to ignore it if he wanted to do anything productive. "I'm the vice president of the club," he said, though his heart wasn't as into it as it was before. "The math club bit is just a cover, though we do a little math here and there. We're actually a group of teenage magicians and spirits who fight against corrupt magicians – that's why you could never join, May. We didn't know-" He glared at the space beside him. "Would you just be quiet already? I'm trying to have a conversation!"

May and Herobrine stared at him.

"Not you. Him," he hurriedly replied. He gestured at where he was glaring.

 _Y-You can hear me?_

"Of course I can hear you!" he replied, exasperated. "I've heard you the entire time!" The other two were staring at him like he had lost his mind, which was starting to become more and more of a realistic possibility. Why else would he be the only one to hear the irritatingly familiar voice?

 _I don't understand,_ the voice protested, _you have control over my body. Don't you have some evil motive for that?_

" _Your_ body?" he said.

 _My body – why is that so surprising?_

He felt like his legs were about to give out from underneath him. "Pres?" he whispered. "Is that-Is that you?"

 _Puck!?_


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N – Hello, dearest reader! I'm glad you've decided to continue reading my fanfiction.** **Please leave a review if you enjoy reading this! I'd love to see what you think.**

 **Disclaimer – I don't own** ** _Minecraft_** **or** ** _The_** ** _Bartimaeus Trilogy._** **I only own my interpretation of both and the plot of this fanfiction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 25**

His limbs ached as he came to. It felt as if he had been used as someone's punching bag, and he desperately searched for an explanation. A cell came into focus. It was dimly lit, and he felt a cold draft of air rattle his armor. The material the cell was actually constructed of was dark, possibly obsidian. His gaze settled on a figure on the other side of the cell. He strained his eyes to make out any defining features, but they had found a place where all of the cell's shadows seemed to overlap.

Memories suddenly came flooding back to him. There had been the endermen. They had been knocked unconscious, but May, Herobrine and Marius had all been off in the woods– did that mean they were alright? But even if they were, where were Cassius, Anda and Bartimaeus? His stomach twisted and churned. What if they had killed them?

 _Oh, God._ What if they had killed Bartimaeus!? The djinni wouldn't die so easily. He was old and wise and more powerful than any of those endermen would ever be. He had to be alright. He kept trying to convince himself that Bartimaeus was okay, but doubt continued to claw at him.

The figure in the back of the cell moved. Blake hurriedly got to his feet. They had taken his potions bag from him, but his armor made him look quite intimidating. The other prisoner would hopefully think that he was a difficult opponent to beat.

"Who are you?" he called out.

"I'm not telling you," was the reply.

The owner of the voice sounded feminine, American and suspiciously like a teenager. Her voice trembled. She sounded as terrified as he felt; he wished there was something he could do to help her. He hesitantly reached a hand out, only to return it to his side when he realized how the action might further scare her. As he came come closer, her features became more defined. The darkness still shrouded the majority of them, but he could confirm that she was around the same size as him – which was odd, considering how abnormally tall he currently was.

And then he finally was close enough to get a good look at her.

He screamed and stumbled back. Terror flickering across her face, an earsplitting scream leaving her lips. He wanted to cry even more than he already did. It was the most horrifying sound he had ever heard, and his bones shook as it reverberated through their small little cell.

She balled her clawed hands into shaking fists. Holding them out before her, she whispered, "Your eyes are strange."

"You're an enderman," he replied. He bumped into the wall behind him. Frantically glancing from side to side, he tried to figure out how to get farther away from her. This must have been the cell they used for _all_ prisoners. She must have committed some horrific act to end up in here, and he trembled at the thought of what power she might hold.

She hesitated. "I am."

He took a deep breath. _Calm down, Blake. You'll only seem weak if you continue to be afraid._ It was hard not to when his last encounter with her kind hadn't gone well, but at least he was no longer screaming.

"I'm one of the queens of the End," she said. She slowly got to her feet. Her posture was impeccably straight, and, now that she was in the light, he saw how regal she truly looked. Her raven locks of black hair had been woven into a thick braid that ran down her back. Her outfit, a gown woven with intricate designs, was befitting of royalty. A purple jewel hung around her neck on a silver chain. The final touch was the silver circlet nestled in her hair.

And he almost bought all of it; the outfit, the title and the blatantly nonhuman appearance. But her voice left him with a nagging suspicion, and he quickly decided to act on it.

He bowed. "Forgive me, your highness. I did not know I was in the presence of royalty. My name is Raptor. I am but a lowly wizard who has, unfortunately, been taken captive." His posture returned to normal. If there was anything magicians were good at it, it was pretending to be something they weren't. "May I ask what your name is?"

Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Circe."

He tilted his head slightly to the side. Combining her appearance with her supposed name created a strange sense of recognition, though he struggled to understand why that was the case. How could he know her? "The stories from my land tell of a Circe who was skilled in the art of magic," he began. "Do the two of you share that trait?"

The mask she had so eagerly put on shattered into a million little pieces. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. When she spoke again, there was a startling amount of emphasis put into each word. "No," she said. "No, no, no. You can't be!"

"I'm from Earth."

She shook her head. "It's not possible."

He tried to keep his voice calm and reassuring. "It is. I downloaded the new update, just like you did, and then I ended up here. It'll be alright. We'll find a way out of this cell, and then we'll find a way back to Earth-"

"No!" The sudden increase in the volume of her voice made him step back in alarm. The suggestion seemed to have horrified her even more than she already was, and he didn't know what to do. "You don't understand! The update was _never_ the reason for you ending up here. Don't you get it?"

"Of course it was. I updated the game, and then I awoke as my skin," he tried to gently argue. It was what made the most sense. May had noted the same thing. The update had to be the trigger; what else possibly could? The stress of being trapped here must have been getting to Circe, and he was the only one who could calm down. Would his logic be enough?

"You don't understand," she repeated, this time much more dejected than before. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "You're here because of _me._ This was never about a series of codes. Did you really think that something like that would work? This isn't _Sword Art Online_! It's about who you really are, Raptor."

She did, unfortunately, have a point. He had never figured out how something like this situation could happen, and both Marius and May seemed equally clueless. But if she – assuming she really was responsible – had done this without the update, what else was left? Magic? May had mentioned gods in their dreams before. Was this their work? No, that wasn't right. It didn't explain how she would be at fault.

What else was left?

"Is it because I'm a magician?" he guessed. That had to be it! May and Dresden were also magicians. Like him, they had ended up on Minecraftia. What other connections could there possibly be between them?  
She gulped. "No."

"Then what is it?"

She took an unsteady deep breath, raising her arms in preparation of any violent action he might take when he heard her answer. He wished he could understand why she was so afraid. Was it because of his terrifying appearance?

"Raptor," she said, "it's because you have essence coursing through your veins."


End file.
